See You Again
by Kaneko Aikawa
Summary: They were two completely different people - one was a popular student, the other was a delinquent loner. When they met, it would be highly unlikely that they would have a brotherly friendship that would change their lives. Based on the song by Wiz Khalifa. Alternate Universe.
1. Prologue

**Hello everyone! I know I haven't been around very much as I was busy working on projects for my Youtube channel and also I was on hiatus in Past That Guides Us. Now I have inspiration to write a new story with a bit of a different focus. It's based on Wiz Khalifa's "See You Again" and be prepared for emotion and drama balanced with a bit of action, and good dose of comedy and romance.**

 **Enjoy!**

 _ **See You Again**_

 _Prologue_

It was a dreary Monday afternoon. Rain poured like a waterfall over the city of Magnolia, filling the streets with its gloominess and water. It was rather dark to be afternoon as black clouds continued to rain endlessly on everyone…as though something or someone was ripped from them.

In the Eastern part of town, a group of people gathered in a cemetery, each dressed in black and holding up black umbrellas. There were a couple of people, who did not hold up umbrellas.

One was a young woman, who was already breaking down and crying. A red-haired woman wrapped her arms around her as she cried in her shoulder. The red-head was also sobbing as she held her friend.

The other was a young man, who stood front and centre. Locks of hair matted his face and his expensive, black suit clung to his body, but he did not care…as long as his tears were hidden from view. However, everyone knew that no matter how hard he tried to hide it, he was already breaking inside. The girl beside him knew him the most, and she stood by his side, ready to hold him if he ever broke down crying. However, he just stood in that one spot, not moving an inch.

Memories flew through that young man's mind. It seemed like a long time ago…but it felt like yesterday when he and the deceased had a close but unlikely friendship.

 **And that's just the prologue. The chapters after this will be a lot longer, I promise you. I wanted this chapter to be vague so that nothing will be spoiled. The next chapter, which is the real first chapter, is going to take place 3 years before the prologue, so you will see the events that happened prior to this moment.**


	2. First Day of School

**So I got an amazing turn-out when I posted the prologue. Thanks guys! Now here's the real deal and remember it takes place 3 years before the prologue. So enjoy!**

 **I do have to warn you guys that there is a lot of strong language, a bit of OOC-ness, and quite a bit of mature humour in here. It's just what I do hehe, but I hope you enjoy.**

* * *

 _Chapter 1: First Day of School_

 _ **~3 years ago~**_

A wide smile spread across the face of a young man as he walked up the steps, heading toward his high school. The golden sun's rays warmed his face as though it were a spotlight shining on him, shining on his unique pink hair, designer sunglasses, and white checkered scarf. He was just entering his second year of high school, and he was looking forward to see how it plays out.

His name was Natsu Dragneel, the only son of Igneel Dragneel, who was the owner of a prominent small business. A tall and attractive young man, Natsu was very popular with a doting father and a comfortable lifestyle. Yep, he had it all…well almost everything – he had yet to have a girlfriend, but he did not want to worry about that. After all, he wanted to enjoy life as an eligible bachelor.

A few girls noticed him coming and ran toward him. "Natsu!" They cried.

Natsu turned toward them and took off his sunglasses. "Morning ladies, how are you today?"

They giggled and swooned when they heard his voice. "We're good~!" They replied flirtatiously.

"So how may I help you?" Natsu asked.

They took out a wrapped lunch and presented it to him. "We want you to have this," one of the girls said.

Natsu looked at the lunch that was wrapped neatly in a rosy-pink cloth. He already brought a lunch, but he knew that he could not refuse something that was given to him. His father taught him better than that after all. "Well girls, thank…"

But before he could finish, he was shoved aside and he fell forward with a surprised yelp. "Get the fuck out of my way!" A young man shouted as he made his way to the office. He had raven-black hair that went passed his ears and his eyes held a steel glare. A black leather jacket covered his uniform shirt and a cigarette was placed behind his right ear.

The girls gasped at the student's sudden rudeness, but one of the girls blushed heavily. "Who turned off the lights?" Natsu asked, his voice a little muffled when he found that his face was between two soft pillows. Wait…pillows? Natsu quickly removed his face and looked into the eyes of one of his admirers. "Uhhhh…hello…" He said awkwardly.

"H-hi," the girl said.

"NAAAATSUUU!" A voice screamed from a distance and Natsu froze. The girls backed away. "Bye Natsu-kuun!" They shouted while they quickly walked away.

Natsu turned around to see who called his name very slowly, and his eyes laid on a tall, busty red-head. The top three buttons of her blouse were undone, so a small amount of cleavage was shown, and her eyes held an icy cold glare that could scare anyone out of their wits. He was so scared that he could not move a muscle and he trembled at the sight of her death glare. "E-Erza…"

Erza put her hands on her hips as she walked toward Natsu. "The first thing you do when you come to school…is put your face in an innocent girl's chest?!"

Natsu stepped back, shivering and sweating in fear. "I-I-I didn't mean to! S-some jackass shoved me into her! Honest!"

Erza put her hands on Natsu's shoulders and started to shake him hard. "YOU IDIOT! AS STUDENT COUNCIL PRESIDENT, I FORBID YOU FROM DOING CERTAIN ACTS LIKE PREYING ON INNOCENT GIRLS!"

"WHAA!" Natsu screamed as he was being shaken. He felt like he was going to pass out any time soon.

"Go easy on him, Erza," a busty girl with white hair in a pony tail spoke up when she walked up to them. Like Erza, she was also showing a bit of cleavage under her blouse, and she wore a black choker necklace around her neck. The bottom part of her blouse was tied together, so that she could show some of her stomach. "He clearly doesn't need your fat fingers digging into him. Seriously, you eat too much cake." She smirked after she finished the insult.

Erza twitched uncontrollably as she let go of Natsu, who was stumbling around in a dizzy spell. "F-F-Fat?! I'm not the one who's fat, Mirajane!" She was now in front of Mirajane's face. "At least I don't dress like some hussy!"

"Says the little slut herself!" Mirajane shot back. The two of them growled as an electric spark showed between their foreheads.

Natsu used this as a distraction to sneak away. He did not want to be in the middle of two girls fighting, although a certain part of himself told him to stay and see how far this goes.

"Morning, Natsu," another female voice greeted, and this made Natsu jump several feet in the air.

"YAA!" He yelped and turned around to face the source of the voice. It was a blonde girl who was also rather busty. Her hair was tied up in a side pony tail, and red heart-shaped earrings adorned her ears. This was Lucy Heartfilia, a girl who was richer than Natsu was, and was an acquaintance of his. "Oh…it's you," he scowled.

She put her hands on her hips. "And what was that scowl for?" She asked. "I was merely greeting you."

Natsu blinked a few times. "Nothing! Later, Lucy!" He ran off, hoping to get to class on time.

"Natsu!" Lucy called out to him.

"I gotta go to class, Lucy!" Natsu called back.

"You haven't paid a visit to your locker yet!" Lucy shouted.

Natsu stopped and walked toward her. "And who are you to tell me what to do, you mother hen?"

"Oh come on, Natsu, you know that I make sure that you're kept in line," Lucy pointed out.

Natsu rolled his eyes. "Thank you, Mommy," he said sarcastically as he walked to his locker. There was something about Lucy that annoyed him, but then again, there were some times where she meant well. After all, their fathers had been colleagues for years, so they knew quite enough about each other. However, Natsu would never admit that they are close friends. After all, the only girl he had close ties with was his best friend, Lisanna, who was currently away studying in Europe.

As he opened his locker, his thoughts changed to that jerk that pushed him in the main foyer. What was his deal anyway? And who was he? Natsu had never seen him before. "Must be someone new," He mumbled to himself as he walked to class.

In the Principal's office, the young man that shoved Natsu waited for the principal to greet him. He was clearly bored and just wanted to get it over with, so he opened his bag and took out an object. It was an angel made of crystal cut glass, and it was no more than 3 inches tall. Its glass wings folded over its back, and the look on the angel's face held a calm expression. The young man softened his gaze as he studied the angel.

"That's a beautiful angel," Erza complimented. The economics teacher, Wakaba, separated her and Mirajane earlier when they were having their argument. "Where did you..."

"None of your business," The student snapped.

Erza blinked at the student's rudeness and her gaze hardened as she forced him to his feet. "Listen you little shit," she snarled, "I don't know who you are or what you think you're doing, but you better watch your tone with me...or else!" She let him go.

"One little word of advice," The student shot back as he straightened his jacket, "put your hands on me again and I won't hesitate to smack you hard. I don't give a shit if you're a woman or a pussy-ass man." He looked up at her. "Do we have an agreement, bitch?"

The principal, a short man named Makarov, walked up to them and coughed to get their attention. "Ahem!"

Erza looked at Makarov. "Good morning, Makarov-sensei," she greeted, anger towards the student next to her lacing her voice.

"Hmph," The student simply said.

Makarov looked at the new student. "So you must be Gray Fullbuster."

Gray glared at Makarov. "And your point, old man?"

Makarov narrowed his eyes. "First of all, you are to address me as Makarov-sensei like Erza here. Second, you are to fix that attitude of yours. Third, I will not tolerate you threatening other students. I understand that you're rather new, so I will let you off on a warning."

Gray glared at Erza. "Not my fault she was annoying and put her hand on me."

Erza growled. "I was only asking about that thing that was in your hands!"

Gray got in her face. "And I'm telling you it's none of your business, woman. So don't ask about shit that doesn't concern you."

Makarov coughed again. "Alright you two, that's enough. Erza, you are to show Gray around." He looked at Gray. "And as for you, I suggest you cooperate if you want to continue to be at this school. Is that understood?"

Gray hesitated for moment. "Fine..."

Makarov nodded. "Good luck, you two." He walked away.

"Tch, why me?" Erza wondered as she rolled her eyes.

Gray smirked. "Woke up at the wrong side of the bed...or maybe you wanted play the good student. Take your pick. Oh! And you might want to watch where you put your valuables. You never know where they might end up." He held up her wallet.

Erza's eyes shot open. "You thief! How did you do that?! When did you do that?!"

Gray scowled again. "You learn certain tricks...not like it really matters to you."

She tried to reach for her wallet. "You asshole!"

Gray snickered as he tossed the wallet from her reach and caught it with his other hand. "Later whore! Hahaha!" He laughed as he left the office.

"Gray! Get back here with that!" Erza shouted as she followed.

Gray snickered as he discretely took some money from her wallet. "This should buy me some food at least," he thought to himself. However, he bumped into someone. "Ugh!"

"Having fun?" The person asked as he shoved Gray to the ground.

"Ugh!" Gray repeated as he fell. He looked up at whom he bumped into that also shoved him. He was a tall, blue-haired young man who was older than Gray. A mark that resembled a tattoo showed just under his left eye and there was an evil grin on his face. This was Jellal Fernandes, the captain of the football team...and Erza's boyfriend.

The grin changed into a glare as Jellal picked Gray up by the front of his jacket and slammed him into the wall. "I heard that there was a new bastard in school and he just might be a bully. Erza, did this pussy-ass coward hurt you?"

Erza rushed up to them. "He stole my wallet and threatened to hurt me," she answered.

"Hm," Jellal reacted. "Give me the wallet, punk!"

"Tch, fine..." Gray said as he gave the wallet to Jellal, who tossed it to Erza.

"See? That wasn't so bad," Jellal said with a smile.

"That little thief!" Erza exclaimed as she looked through her wallet.

"What did he do, Erza?" Jellal asked.

"There's no money in here," she growled.

He frowned again as he punched Gray hard in the stomach followed by a right hook to his jaw. "Where's the damn money, fucker?!" He yelled as he started to apply pressure onto Gray's neck.

"Damn…you…" Gray choked out. "It's in my pocket…" He winced as he took out the money from his pocket. "See? Take it!"

"Hmph…" Jellal took the money and then he punched Gray again. "That's for what you did to my girl." Jellal grabbed onto Gray's jacket and threw him across the hall. The delinquent grunted as he landed on the ground. "Get away from Erza and if I ever see you around these parts, I will break you. Is that understood?"

Gray chuckled as he held his stomach as Jellal raised an eyebrow. "Is that...all you got?" Gray looked at Jellal with a dark smirk gracing his split lips. "If that is all you got, then you must be weaker than I thought. Your punches are sloppy...so sloppy that I can barely feel them. You're nothing but a pussy-ass wannabe who's trying to get laid." He laughed louder. "Your girlfriend must be wet right now..after all...you two deserve each other."

"Why you BASTARD!" Jellal shouted as he rushed to attack Gray, but he was stopped by one of the teachers, a man with red hair that went passed his ears and a little stubble on his face. "That's enough, Fernandes!" He shouted.

Jellal blinked at the teacher. "But Gildarts-sensei..."

Gildarts' glare became even more intense. "Get to class...now..."

"Tch, fine," Jellal said. He turned to Erza. "Let's go. We'll leave the loner to lick his wounds." Erza nodded as they walked away, hand in hand.

Gildarts shook his head and then looked back at Gray. "You okay, son?"

"I've had worse," Gray answered as he found his locker.

"What's your first class?" Gildarts asked. "Because if it is literature then I can take you there."

Gray sighed. All he wanted to do was be alone, but then he remembered the reason why he enrolled himself in this school. "Fine...it's literature..."

Gildarts smiled. "Then let's go."

In the classroom, Natsu rolled his eyes while he waited for the class to begin. It had been fifteen minutes since the morning bell rang, and the teacher had not showed up yet. He looked at his watching and rolled his eyes. "Where the hell is that teacher?" Before complaining about the teacher's whereabouts, Natsu was talking among his friends, but now he was anxious to start the class.

"He should be coming soon," Loke, a student with orange hair and glasses, answered before he went back to flirting with the girls in the class. He was also a good friend of Natsu's.

Natsu leaned back on his seat. "He better. I want to get the ball rolling."

About a couple minutes after Natsu spoke, Gildarts walked in. "Good morning, class. Welcome to second year. If you haven't met me before, I am Gildarts Clive, your literature teacher. There is a new student joining us today. This is his first year in school, period, so I want you to treat him nicely. You can come in, son."

Gray sneered at Gildarts' request and walked in, glaring at the students before him. "This is Gray Fullbuster," Gildarts continued. Whispers filled the room.

"I think I saw that guy before!" Levy exclaimed.

"So have I!" Lucy piped in. "Wasn't he on the streets?"

"Come to think of it, you're right!" Levy replied.

"Look at him, so disheveled," another student sneered. "I doubt he's going to fit in."

"Yeah you're right, and since this is his first year altogether, he must be completely stupid," another student added. Both students laughed. Gray's eyes narrowed at the students.

Gildarts glared at the students. "That's enough you two." He turned to Gray. "You can go sit wherever you like." Without a word, Gray just walked to an empty desk as far away from everyone as possible.

A girl with shoulder-length blue hair stared at Gray as he walked to his seat, and it seemed that her heart skipped a beat when she saw his face. Everything about him was attractive, but she also noticed something else that no one had probably noticed before. It may have been her intuition, but there was something about him that seemed...sad to her. She softened her eyes at him.

Feeling that he was being watched, Gray glared at her and turned away. "Stupid bitch," he grumbled.

The girl heard what he said and looked away immediately, tears in her eyes. "Juvia is sorry," she whispered.

Gray twitched. Who says their name in third person? This was going to be a long day with these annoying people.

Natsu saw Juvia cry and glared at Gray. He was starting to dislike this rude jerk.

"Alright, class," Gildarts said, "open your books to the first chapter - introduction to literature." Everyone did so. He saw Juvia with tears in her eyes. "Are you alright, Juvia-chan?" He asked.

Juvia nodded. "Juvia is fine.."

 _Good God, just shut the fuck up!_ Gray yelled in his head.

"Very well," Gildarts said, "Let's begin our lesson."

As the lesson continued, Gray removed his cigarette from his ear and twirled it around in his fingers while he looked at the book. Natsu narrowed his eyes as he glanced at him. Just what was his problem? He had never met anyone so rude in his life, and he didn't know why Gray was acting the way he was. Maybe he was adjusting to going to school for the first time? Natsu overheard that he was seen on the streets, so maybe Gray was adjusting to a new life in general. Or maybe...he was hurt deeply and has trust issues. Either way, Gray had no right to be mean to everyone else.

When class ended, everyone gathered their books and walked out. "Please answer the questions on page 30!" Gildarts shouted over the loud noises. "Have a great day everyone!"

However, Gray was out the door before he could catch what Gildarts was saying. He saw the students - two young men - who badmouthed him earlier. Narrowing his eyes again, he walked up to them, grabbed their heads and slammed them against a couple of lockers. The students yelled in pain. "Listen punks, you better watch what you say or else," Gray threatened. "You're lucky that you're at school because if you said that to someone on the streets, you would end up broken or...better yet...stabbed and lying in a fucking dumpster." He smirked. "So I will let you off on a little warning - keep your mouths shut when you're around me or I will break a bone of my choice in EACH of your bodies. Do I make myself clear?"

Scared to say anything, the boys nodded frantically, and Gray shoved them both, making them land on the floor. "Now get the fuck out of my sight," he demanded. The boys scrambled on their feet and ran away.

"Hey!" Natsu shouted to him.

Gray turned around and glared at Natsu. "Who the fuck are you? Someone else who wants to annoy me?"

Natsu walked up to Gray. "The name is Natsu Dragneel." Gray widened his eyes at the name. He had heard that name before, and something about it made him tense slightly. However, he brushed it off. "And if you don't like being 'annoyed' then too bad, you're going to listen to what I have to say."

Gray turned away. "And if I don't? What is your rich ass going to do to me? Throw me in jail?"

Natsu crossed his arms. "First of all, it's upper-working class. I don't have that kind of power to hire a private police force. Second of all, I want to know why you are being such a complete jerk to everyone."

Gray rolled his eyes. "Why do you care?" He looked at Natsu. "I'm mean because I can. You're not getting a straight answer from me, so piss off."

"You shoved me," Natsu said.

"You were in the way."

"You made Juvia cry."

"She was annoying and pitying me."

Natsu was frustrated as he walked toward Gray. "What the hell is wrong with you?! Are you like this because you're adjusting?"

Gray grabbed Natsu by the front of his uniform and slammed his back against the wall. "Enough with the stupid questions. I'm here to get a better life. I did NOT come here to make friends!" Gray punched Natsu in the stomach and walked away as Natsu sank to his knees, holding his stomach.

"Jerk," Natsu croaked out.

"Natsu!" Lucy called as she ran to him with Elfman, a tall and muscular man who also happened to be Mirajane's brother, and Levy. "Are you alright?" She asked as she helped him up.

"Yeah, I hate that jerk," Natsu managed to say.

"What you did proved yourself to be a bigger man," Elfman remarked.

"Thanks Elfman," Natsu trailed off. "Did anyone talk to Juvia yet?"

"I gave her a hug and told her to not let him get to her," Lucy answered. "She felt better right afterwards."

Natsu smiled. One thing that he liked the best about Lucy was her kind heart and her way to make others feel better.

"With that said," Levy spoke up, "Let's go to class."

"Amen to that!" Elfman exclaimed.

During the next couple of classes, Gray avoided everyone and kept to himself while Natsu continued to ponder about why the delinquent was acting the way he was as well as conversing with his friends.

He saw Juvia who was staring into space and walked up to her. "Hey Juvia," He spoke up.

This startled her. "Oh!" She exclaimed as she jumped and looked at Natsu. "Hello Natsu, you startled Juvia."

Natsu rubbed his head with a smile. "Sorry about that, hehe. I wanted to know how you're holding up."

Juvia smiled cheerfully. "Juvia is doing better actually!" Then she frowned and turned to Gray who was looking out the window and twirling his cigarette in his fingers. "Juvia is worried about him though. When Juvia saw him in literature class, she thought that he was sad. Maybe it was Juvia's fault that got him to be mad at her."

Natsu frowned as well and sighed as he patted Juvia's head. "No, it's not your fault. Maybe he has issues that are making him act this way, but we don't know for sure. Try not worry about him, alright Juvia? I'm sure Lucy said that same thing."

Juvia nodded. "She did and thank you, Natsu-san." She smiled.

Natsu smiled as well and hugged her. "Let me know if you need anything, alright?"

"Okay," Juvia nodded. "I can see why everyone likes you."

Natsu shrugged. "I'm a nice guy. What can I say? Want to eat lunch with me and some friends on the roof?"

Juvia's eyes widened. She normally kept to herself, and now this boy was asking her to eat lunch with him and his friends? No one asked her that before. "Sure!" She exclaimed.

On the roof, Natsu was enjoying lunch with Lucy, Levy, Elfman, Loke, and of course Juvia. They were engaging in lively conversation about pretty much anything such as their expectations for the next year and their summer plans...even though it was April. Juvia sat listening to them, smiling happily and jumping in whenever she could.

"So Elfman," Loke said, "any idea when Lisanna will be back?"

"She will be back next year in time for graduation," Elfman answered.

Loke looked at Natsu. "And are you going to ask her out when she comes back?"

"Huh?" Natsu raised an eyebrow.

"Oh you know, you two are close. I think it's about time you go the next step." Loke gave him a knowing smile.

"She's a good friend," Natsu stated, "that's not going to happen."

"Oh come on!" Loke complained. "You're at that age and not once have you had a steady girlfriend!"

"Because it hasn't crossed my mind," Natsu replied.

Loke smirked. "Oh really? What about when you had your face in that chick's chest?"

Natsu tensed and blushed. "Drop it, Loke."

"Hey! Hey! Natsu's getting defensive!" Loke teased. "So it has crossed your mind."

"You're riling him up, Loke," Lucy spoke up. "Quit it."

Loke chuckled as he adjusted his glasses. "As you wish, princess. However, I have one more question."

Natsu twitched with annoyance. "Yes...go ahead..."

"How WAS it exactly? Were those breasts nice and firm? What size were they?" He grinned.

That did it. "Why you little!" Natsu tackled Loke and put him in a headlock.

"Loke! Look what you made Natsu do!" Levy exclaimed.

"REAL MEN FIGHT!" Elfman shouted.

"Say uncle, Four-Eyes! Say it!" Natsu shouted.

"No way, play-boy! Hahahahaha!" Loke laughed. Natsu twitched even more as he tightened his hold. "Alright! Uncle!" Loke shouted as he tapped on Natsu's leg. This made Natsu let go.

However, when Loke straightened, he was a little dizzy and lost his balance, falling on Lucy. "Hello," he said as his face was inches from Lucy's.

Lucy blushed. "Why do you have to fall on me?"

"I could fall for you," Loke said as he laughed.

Lucy quickly shoved Loke off her. "You're so hopeless."

"Ooo, I like them feisty! Let's talk..."

"About what?" Lucy asked as she raised an eyebrow.

"About our...future?" Loke asked hopefully.

"No!" Lucy exclaimed and she put her foot against his face and shoved him back down to the ground.

"Dear gravity...thou art a heartless bitch," Natsu said as he rolled his eyes.

Juvia giggled as she witnessed this. She looked at Levy. "Does this always happen?"

Levy nodded. "Yes it does. We're all really close so it's almost...as if we are almost a big and happy family. Normally Erza would hang out with us, but she has been spending a lot of time with her boyfriend, Jellal lately."

Natsu twitched. "And Jellal is a jerk. I hate him." _So is that Gray guy but that's beside the point,_ he thought to himself.

"Are you jealous, Natsu?" Loke asked with a knowing smile. "Erza is a total babe so I can understand."

"Don't let any of them hear that, Loke," Elfman warned. "Erza may be gorgeous, but her actions make her a man."

Natsu gave Elfman a blank look. "Dude...that makes no sense...at all."

"What Elfman means is that Erza will get really scary if you push her buttons," Levy translated.

Natsu tensed as he thought of this morning. "Don't...remind me."

"I..." Juvia started to say. Everyone looked at her. "I want to say thank you for inviting me here. No one invites me to lunch, so it means a lot!"

Lucy smiled. "You're welcome, Juvia. You're our friend now, so we're here whenever you need us."

"Hear! Hear!" Natsu agreed.

* * *

Well into lunch, a man was walking down the street minding his business. He was just a simple man with a life of his own. Since it was lunch, he was going have a quick bite to eat before his lunch hour ended and his work resumed.

Suddenly, he heard footsteps from behind him. When he turned around, he did not see anyone, and the sound suddenly stopped. Realizing he was just hearing things, he turned back around only to see someone in front of him, leaning against a wall in the shadows. "May I help you?" He asked.

"Actually...yes," the person replied. It was a masculine voice, that of a teenager.

"What do you need, kid?" The man asked.

"Oh, it's fairly simple," the person stood up. "You look like a man who has money."

The man tensed. "I don't want any trouble..."

"Good, then I'll make this quick." Suddenly, the man is elbowed in the face. He stumbled with a surprise yelp and then bent over with a hard knee to his stomach. Another elbow to the back of the head was what it took to knock him down fully. While the man was bent, his wallet was taken.

If he could look up, he would see the smirking face of Gray Fullbuster. "Thanks for the cash, man," he said as he took out all his money and then stepped on the back of his neck forcing him back on the ground. "I'll give this back to you and go on my way." Gray threw the wallet back to the man and took out another cigarette. "Later!" He ran off as he pocketed the money.

* * *

 **And that's chapter 1, everyone. I'm going to try to make everything as balanced as I can, and things will be even more intense as the story goes on with dynamic growth in the characters.**

 **Let me know what you think!**


	3. The Misunderstood

Hey guys! *dodging random objects* Don't kill me! I know it's late! *sweat drops* Either way, it's up right now. And you would be happy to know that I have added a couple of original characters - one of which is my friend's and the other is mine - to this story. With that said, enjoy!

* * *

 _ **Chapter 2: The Misunderstood**_

The next day, Lucy Heartfilia walked up the steps of the high school, eager to start a new day. She was an heiress to the Heartfilia Estate, the daughter of a very wealthy business owner who owned a prosperous company. She was one of those girls whom young men would want to date and other girls would idolize. She entered the school, waving amiably to a few first years who were looking at her, and headed toward her locker.

Suddenly, she stopped walking when a bouquet of flowers blocked her view. She let out a yelp of surprise to show how startled she was.

Then she realized who held up those flowers - it was Loke. He flashed a smile that showed perfect white teeth as he adjusted his glasses. "Why hello, fair Lucy," he greeted, "you look well this morning."

If Lucy were one of those mean girls, she would snatch those flowers and stomp on them in front of him. However, she politely pushed them out of her face and sighed. "Good morning, Loke," she replied.

The smile on Loke's face never faltered. "Well, I made sure that I got the best flowers for you. Please take them as a token of my never-ending affection."

Lucy twitched her eyebrows a couple of times, and then looked at the mix of lilies and red roses before her. She could turn them down, but she did not want to waste the money that Loke spent on those flowers. Taking the flowers, she looked at Loke. "Don't take this the wrong way, but I'm only taking them because it would be rude to turn down a gift."

Loke wrapped an arm around her. "Ah you're just playing hard-to-get. Have dinner with me tonight. I promise that you would enjoy it."

Okay...this was starting to get uncomfortable. Lucy ducked under his arm. "Thanks...but no thanks. I'm busy tonight. See you in class." She walked to her locker, taking the flowers with her.

Loke chuckled. "She likes me," he said to himself as he walked down the hallway.

Suddenly, he was tripped and landed on his face. "Oof!" He grunted as he fell.

"You never learn, don't you?" A man said. "The girl is clearly not interested in you."

"And who are you supposed to be?" Loke demanded as he looked up. He saw a tall, red-haired man in front of him. A pendant in the form of a sun or star hung around his neck on a leather string. The man wore a black, leather jacket that was not like the jacket that Gray wore. From looks alone, anyone could tell that this student could belong in third year.

"The name's Aiden," The man answered, "Aiden Hinote - third year. Take a hint and stop bothering the poor girl."

Loke blinked a few times. Never before had he seen someone like this student tell him what to do. Just who did he think he was anyway?

Aiden turned to Lucy who was watching the entire thing. "Are you alright?" He asked.

Lucy nodded. "I'm fine. I'll deal with this. You can go to class now."

"Fine," Aiden replied as he walked off to class.

Lucy sighed as she helped Loke up. "You really are an idiot sometimes."

"Yes but you love me anyways," Loke said with a chuckle.

"Don't get any ideas," Lucy warned as she walked off to class. Loke chuckled as he followed her.

In class, Natsu sat at his desk and glanced at the empty desk that Gray occupied yesterday. He found it strange how the new student missed much of the previous afternoon's classes. Could it be that he is playing hookie or could it be that he is just running late? Natsu shook his head. He would never come to understand that student's mind. This was starting to come a pain.

Juvia also was worried. Sure, Gray hurt her the day before, but she knew she did not want to give up. After all, she had something she wanted to give him...if he ever learned to accept it. Maybe he will come by later? Who knows?

Wakaba walked in - a tall man with a lightly curly hair style that made him look like a greaser from the 1950s. His eyes were in a squint, and a pipe rested in his shirt pocket. He put down his papers and looked at the class. "Good morning, class," he greeted, "before we resume our lesson, I'm going to do the usual."

He started to take attendance by calling out the names of the students in alphabetical order by last name, but when he got to Natsu, he did not get a response. "Natsu Dragneel," he repeated. Natsu was still deep in thought, not saying anything.

Lucy grinned for an idea came to her head. She leaned toward his ear and whispered, "Natsu, they're serving steak in the cafeteria."

Natsu's head immediately shot up as he yelled, "STEAK! HERE I COME!" Lucy quickly pulled her head away so that their heads would not collide and giggled. The entire class burst out laughing.

Wakaba chuckled. "Glad to see you awake and ready to start class," he commented. After addressing a couple more students, he called out, "Gray Fullbuster." Whispers filled the room - some were made in concern but many were malicious.

"He's not here," a female student whispered, "I wonder where he went."

"He could be sick," Another student replied.

"He's playing hookie," a male student remarked, "so typical."

"He could be transferred to another school," another student added, "if that's the case, good riddance. He was a nobody who shouldn't be allowed to fit in. He should have died on the streets, and then no one would pity him because no one even cares."

What that student said irked Natsu. Sure, Gray was a jerk, but wishing death on him when he most likely had nothing was crossing the line. "Hey! Knock it OFF, you jerk!" Natsu snapped.

"Make me, Dragneel!" The student responded. "Or better yet, go be with your buddy, Gray!"

"He's not my buddy!" Natsu argued. "Perhaps you shouldn't lower yourself to his level!"

It was time for Wakaba, as a teacher, to draw the line. "Eucliffe! Dragneel! That's enough out of both of you...unless you want me to give you two detention!" Not wanting detention, Natsu sat in his seat while the other - a blonde young man with a cocky smirk named Sting - leaned back in his seat.

Once things were settled, Wakaba continued to do attendance.

* * *

Now Gildarts did not just teach literature to second year students, he also taught third year History. However, in his class, there was a girl with long brown hair who was fairly quiet. She knew Gildarts quite well, but she was not sure if he knew about her yet. After all, she looked up to him, and she was determined to pass his class more than anything.

Mirajane smirked as she saw the girl and whispered snide comments to her friends. "There's slut number 2. Look at her...and she even has eyes for our teacher Gildarts. How fucked up is that?"

One of her friends, a girl with long black hair named Minerva, whispered back, "I know right? And I heard she's a drinker too. If she thinks that she's going to pass this class, then she's got to be...well smart."

"Exactly," Mirajane replied, "something that she purely lacks." Both girls giggle.

"Hey pig-face!" Erza snapped at Mirajane, "Stop opening your mouth. Seriously, you're giving me a headache!"

Mirajane stood up and got into Erza's face. "Oooooh? And who are you tell me what to do, Erza?! At least I don't eat cake all day!"

Erza stood up quickly. "Because I am the Student Council president and you're nothing but a stupid skank who smells like a fish." She smirked. "I can't tell if it's your breath or your other end."

"BURN!" Almost all of the guys shouted as they laughed.

Mirajane twitched. "Oh suck Jellal's dick!"

"Oooooo!" the boys said in unison and Jellal chuckled.

However, one guy just laid back in his seat - Aiden. "Idiots," he muttered.

Erza smirked. "At least I have a boyfriend, and you? You have no one. You know why? Because you're a tramp who's so bitchy and ugly that no one would WANT to be SEEN near you!"

"Ouch," a student with long-green hair by the name of Freed Justine remarked.

"Keep talking, BITCH!" Mirajane shouted as she shoved Erza back.

However, Erza caught herself. "OH you wanna go?! Bring it on!"

"And the claws are out!" One guy yelled.

The brown-haired girl twitched. This was starting to get a little annoying. Aiden raised an eyebrow. Like any guy, he would not mind seeing a catfight, especially between two really beautiful girls. However, this was in the classroom before class started.

Mirajane tackled Erza. "DIE, bitch!" She yelled as she wrestled against Erza, who was holding her own against her.

The guys started shouting and cheering for the girls, some were standing up. Aiden twitched with annoyance as the cheering became louder. He stood up and shoved the guys that were standing out of his way. "Hey!" They shouted.

However, Aiden did not listen to them. Instead, he went between the girls fighting and pried them apart. "Hey! That's enough you two! Quit it!"

"Hey!" Mirajane and Erza yelled as they were pushed apart.

Jellal raised an eyebrow at this. Not only did Aiden stop a fight between two girls, but he also put his hands on them...in a questionable manner. Erza and Mirajane also saw this, and they became flustered as a result. Aiden's left hand was on Erza's right breast and his right hand was Mirajane's left breast.

When he looked at where he put his hands, his blood froze in his veins as he shivered. "Whoops," he muttered, dreading about what would happen next.

Simultaneously, the girls punched him in the face hard. "Pervert!" They screamed. Aiden yelped as he was thrown back.

Chuckling, Jellal stood up from his desk and stepped toward Aiden. "Well well..." He crouched next to Aiden. "Thinking that you could get away with touching my girl, huh?" A wide smirk spread across his face. "What fun...yesterday, I kicked the new guy's ass for threatening Erza and stealing her wallet. Now, I get to kick your ass for touching her." He cracked his knuckles.

Aiden smirked. "Well, can't completely blame me. All the guys here probably want to grope those two big breasted women if they weren't such idiots. " The other guys whispered among each other, agreeing with Aiden's words. "But let me ask you this? Are you one of those cowards that look for an excuse to beat up other people? Let's test that; try to hit me, little bitch."

Jellal became furious and puzzled as he threw a punch at Aiden. "You little bastard!"

Aiden grabbed his wrist, twisting it around to force Jellal onto the ground. Then he put his weight onto his back while gripping his right arm and wrist hard. "Now let's see what happen next; there are two options here: I can either break your wrist before someone tries to save you or I break your wrist and arm? Rule of thumb...NEVER fuck with a guy who's actually better than your pathetic ass." He smirked as he got ready for the next course action.

Suddenly, he got pulled off. "Meep!" He yelped and saw who was holding him up effortlessly. "Hiya teach..."

Gildarts glared at Aiden and then at Jellal. "You two are having DETENTION! The rest of you SIT DOWN BEFORE I SEND YOU ALL TO DETENTION WITH THEM!" He let Aiden go.

Erza snarled at Aiden, "That asshole.."

Those that were out of their seats jumped at Gildarts' voice and saw an angry aura surrounding him. Not wanting to get in trouble, they quickly went to their seats. When Aiden went to his seat, he put his hands in his pockets while looking at Erza and Jellal together. There was something about Jellal that he hated, and he did not know what Erza saw in him.

The brown-haired girl looked at Gildarts with a sad face as he started his lesson. There was something that she wanted to tell him, but she did not know how to tell him, and the more she thought about it, the more depressed she felt.

Gildarts looked at her and then at the class list. "Cana Alberona, is that right?"

"Yes sir," Cana replied.

"Is there something wrong?"

Cana sighed. "Nothing sir." She looked away from him. Mirajane snickered with her friends as she whispered things to them.

"Miss Strauss," Gildarts said as he glared at Mirajane. "Is there something you want to share?"

Mirajane quickly sat up, an innocent look immediately showed up on her face. "No, Gildarts-sensei. I'm ready."

Gildarts nodded. "Very well. Let's begin."

* * *

The first-period classes were almost finished when Gray walked in, cursing under his breath. There were a few bruises on his face that were rather fresh.

A first-year girl with blue hair by the name of Wendy was going back to class after using the restroom when she noticed him. "Oh...hello...are you alright? Do you need to go to the infirmary?"

"What kind of stupid question is that?" Gray growled. He looked at Wendy, anger showing in his eyes. "I'm just peachy, so perhaps you should mind your own fucking business!" He turned around a corner sharply as Wendy gasped at his tone of voice and the look on his face.

"S-Sorry!" She cried as she hurried toward her class. The two were oblivious to the presence of a student watching them.

Gray walked toward his locker and put his hand on his ribs. "Bastard..." He hissed under his breath as he opened his locker and put his bag away. Then he took out his timetable and checked to see what class he was having next. "Phys. Ed? What a joke." He put the timetable in his locker and locked it tight after he slammed it. He took out a cigarette from a carton and put it in his mouth. "Thanks but no thanks," he grumbled to himself as he walked out of the school.

When Wendy was hurrying to her class, she accidentally bumped into someone. Embarrassed, she stepped back quickly and bowed. "Sorry!"

She felt a hand on her head. "It's alright. You were upset anyway. Are you alright?" A female voice asked.

"I said something that I shouldn't have said," Wendy sobbed. "He was really scary and upset about something, and I was a dumping ground.

"I know how that feels," the girl said. "You want me to set him straight?"

"N-no, it's okay," Wendy said with a sad smile. She looked at the girl. "My name is Wendy Marvell. What's yours?"

The girl's smirk turned into a genuine smile. She was not very tall, about 5 foot 4 in height, with shoulder-length black hair and brown eyes, and she was one of those girls who were average when it came to attractiveness. "Just call me Kaneko," the girl answered as she walked away. "I will see you later, Wendy."

"Kaneko," Wendy repeated. "Nice girl," she said with a smile as she walked to her classroom.

* * *

Aiden walked out of class, not paying much attention to Jellal and Erza. He did not want to cause any more trouble, and he was annoyed with both of them for what happened in the class. He walked up to the roof and lit up a cigarette.

When the familiar smell of cigarette smoke wafted from another area, he knew that he was not alone. He turned to the left of him and saw Gray sitting against the wall. He ran his hands through his hair as he inhaled smoke. Aiden continued to watch as Gray brought out the crystal-cut angel from his bag. "What am I going to do?" Gray asked. "Mom..."

"You could go to class," Aiden answered as though the question was directed at him. "That's a start."

Gray clenched his teeth as he pocketed the angel and glared at Aiden. "What the hell do you want?"

"Nothing," Aiden answered, "Just minding my own business."

"Then if I were you, I would continue minding my own business and not bother the other guy," Gray retorted as he put the cigarette in his lips.

"Well, why aren't you going to class?" Aiden asked.

"Because I don't feel like it," Gray answered shortly. "Is that enough for you?"

Aiden took a better look at him. "You must be the new guy that everyone's talking about...the jerk."

"Say what you will," Gray answered, "I don't give a shit."

Aiden narrowed his eyes. "If you keep doing what you're doing, then no one will help you. You'll be alone. Do you want that?"

"This world is full of problems," Gray answered. "No one really cares about you. No matter how much you wish that you could have a shoulder to cry on and all that bullshit, they will always turn their back on you. The least you can do is fend for yourself." He inhaled more of his cigarette before tossing it to the ground and stepping on it. Then he stood up. "I don't need anyone. So do me a favour and get lost." He walked back inside the school, his hand on his ribs.

Aiden was about to argue that statement, but then decided not to because he used to think how Gray did. He also knew there was some truth behind it. However, that did not mean that Gray should not try to get new friends since he just moved here, and it also did not mean he will always be friendless either. He could make some friends...if everyone was not being an idiot.

Unfortunately, that did not mean that his first impression on Gray's character wavered. He was still a cold-hearted bastard in his eyes, and it was difficult to understand the reason for the other young man's attitude. Aiden finished his cigarette and walked into the school, hoping to not run into Erza or Jellal on the way to his next class and praying that his sister stayed in the all-girl school like he asked her to do.

Gray stood at the top of the stairs and softened his eyes. Vivid memories of what transpired earlier that day flowed through his mind. He remembered getting beaten up, the feeling of two tightly clenched fists hitting his left cheek, then his jaw, and finally his other cheek just below his eye. He winced as he ghosted his fingers over the bruises. That was not all what happened: he remembered getting shoved down varnished, wooden steps...the way he struggled to hold on to the railing as he fell, only to miss it...the pain that shot through his ribs as he landed. He put his hand on his ribs once again, feeling the tender area.

Why he was beaten up, he could not fully understand why. One thing was for certain: he hated the person that did this to him with every breath in his body. He clenched his teeth together as he took deep breaths, trying to forget the horrifying events that happened. All he wanted to do was to get through life, to be strong. He did not want anyone to see this scared man that he had become.

The cold and steel glare came back to his eyes, and he breathed a sigh of relief as he walked down the stairs. Unbeknownst to him, a pair of blue eyes watched him walk away before ducking out of his sight, hoping that he did not see her.

Earlier, when Juvia was getting ready for Physical Education, she caught a glimpse of him at his locker. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw him, but overcame with disappointment when he walked the other way. She silently followed him and saw him go toward the roof, but she did not walk out because she was afraid that he would see her.

Then when he came back several moments later, she witnessed his near-breakdown on the stairs. She wanted to help him, to be there for him, but she was afraid he would blow her off again like he did the day before. Perhaps there might be a way to help him after all especially with the item that she brought for him. Not wanting to be any more late than she was or be seen by Gray, she hurried to another stairwell.

Kaneko walked passed Gray as he turned the corner, meeting his gaze only briefly, before walking up the stairs to her locker. She scowled for a moment, but then softened her eyes. Perhaps he was one of those misunderstood students, but that was only a guess. Then again, as a quote from a song from Canadian singer, Amanda Marshall - everyone has a story, no matter how heartbreaking it could be. She hoped that he would get helped soon.

She noticed Cana at her locker nearby, drinking from a flask before putting it away, and walked up to her. Normally she would be the silent type, not talking to anyone very much, but she knew what she had to do. "Hello there," she greeted.

Cana quickly put the flask away and glared at her. "May I help you?"

"Not exactly," Kaneko answered, "I was wondering if you're okay. After all, those bitches, Minerva and Mirajane seemed out of line when they said those things to you."

Cana sighed. "I'm fine...I just block out what they say about me."

"That's always the best thing, I suppose," Kaneko trailed off as she leaned on a locker next to Cana. "If you need anyone to talk to, you know that you can always talk to me."

Sighing again, Cana closed her locker. "Look, I don't want to be rude at all, but I'm not up for talking at all. I'm sorry, but how can I talk to someone whom I've barely talked to? I'm sure you're a nice person...Kaneko, is it?" Kaneko nodded as she listened. "But I'd rather talk to someone whom I can trust," Cana continued as she walked off to her next class.

"Worth a shot," Kaneko said with a sigh before walking to class.

Physical Education ended and Natsu walked from the locker room after getting changed back into his uniform. Gray once again did not show up, and he was starting to get annoyed. Why did he bother trying anyway? He decided not to care whether the delinquent showed up or not.

However, his decision was cut short when he saw Juvia walking up to...Gray? Natsu narrowed his eyes and stepped closer, prepared for the worst as he worried about what would happen. When he saw Gray, he noticed the dark bruises on both cheeks and his jaw and was not surprised. Gray was a hardcore delinquent who lived on the streets, so of course he would get into a lot of fights. Part of him was glad that someone kicked his ass, but part of him started to worry even more.

"What do you want?" Gray demanded as he glared at Juvia.

"Juvia...Juvia can see that you're hurt," Juvia said softly.

"No shit," Gray snapped, "got something else to say that's rather useful or are you going to shut up now? The last thing I want to hear is your annoying voice." Natsu cracked his knuckles as he heard the insult.

Now if this were the same as yesterday, then Juvia would allow Gray's words to get to her and she would run away crying. However, she had a feeling that he would insult her like this, and even though it hurt her, she held her ground and kept her composure. "I...I brought you something," she answered, her voice shaking as she fought through the pain. She reached into her bag and took out a bento box, wrapped in a light blue cloth. A large rose-coloured lily on the top surrounded by what seemed to be ripples was pictured on the cloth.

Gray stared at the cloth for a couple of minutes. He could feel his stomach rumble slightly since he did not have much to eat today, and he pursed his lips together as temptation took over.

"Is he going to do it?" Levy whispered to Lucy.

"I...don't know," Lucy whispered back, "if he were smart, he would take it."

Gray clenched his teeth together as he slapped the lunch from Juvia's hands, making everyone gasp. The lunch went flying toward the wall and landed on the ground, creating a mess. "I DON'T need your charity! So why don't you take your ridiculous hat and your STUPID personality, and get the HELL out of my fucking LIFE!"

Juvia's hands shook as tears started to stream down her cheeks. She worked so hard making that lunch this morning and was almost late for school because of it. If there was ever a moment where she would be breaking down even more, this was it. She felt her heart shatter into a million pieces.

"Oh what, you're going to CRY?!" Gray continued. "HA! You're PATHETIC!"

Natsu immediately ran up to Gray and punched him hard in the face. Gray stumbled back and looked at Natsu. "You know what?! Juvia spent a LOT of time making that lunch for you, and what do you do?! You break her heart into pieces when she was clearly trying to HELP! The pathetic one is YOU!" Natsu tackled Gray to the ground, causing him to wince in pain when his ribs were hit.

Lucy gently grasped Juvia's shoulders and carefully took her away from the fight. Then Juvia burst into tears on Lucy's shoulder as she comforted her. "It's going to be alright, Juvia," Lucy soothed. "Natsu will take care of that jerk."

Gray smirked. "Oh I'm SO scared! Tell me something, Dragneel. Is this how you always fight? I mean seriously." An angry expression took over his face as he flipped Natsu over and punched his face. "THIS is how it's done!"

Natsu let himself get punched a couple more times and grabbed Gray's fist as he punched him the third time. "Don't you EVER shut up?!" He kneed Gray's stomach and got out from under him. "I vouched for you, you know! When people badmouthed you for missing classes, I stood UP for you!"

"Oh boo hoo!" Gray shouted as he swept Natsu's legs from under him and elbowed him to the ground with a yelp. "You think I CARE what people say about me anyway?!" He kicked Natsu's ribs over and over again. "Let them talk! It goes for the fact that they're ALL PATHETIC ANYWAY! All thinking that they're better just because they have a LIFE!" He knelt down and picked Natsu up by the collar. "YOU'RE NO DIFFERENT!" He punched Natsu down again and took deep breaths. "I don't need ANYONE'S pity! I don't need ANYONE'S charity!"

Natsu coughed and looked up. "You say you don't want anyone's pity and yet it's hard NOT to pity you. HELL, where the fuck are your parents anyway? Did they abandon you? Is that why you're like this?"

Gray's eyes widened when Natsu mentioned his parents. Memories came back to the time when his mom gave him that crystal-cut angel before she and his father went on vacation. That was the last time he saw them alive, and he clenched his teeth tightly as he stepped toward Natsu and kicked him hard in the ribs. "YOU DON'T KNOW ME!"

Natsu screamed as he was kicked, but he got up. "So it seemed that I have struck a nerve," he said with a smirk. He ran toward Gray and tackled him, and the two started to wrestle in the hallway.

The crowd that was watching started to shout, "FIGHT! FIGHT!" Elfman was among this crowd.

Lucy held Juvia tighter. Is Natsu trying to get himself in trouble? She hoped a teacher would come and break this up before anyone got hurt.

She was not alone. There were other students in the vicinity that wished the same thing - one of which was Kaneko. She twitched as she watched them wrestle and punch one another. _If no one stops this, then I'm going to have to...,_ she thought to herself in annoyance.

Suddenly, the shrill sound of a whistle was heard, making everyone turn to see the source. Natsu had a hand on Gray's collar and was going to punch him, but Gray gripped his wrist before he could land a hit and was going to twist it with his other arm before the whistle blew.

Natsu looked up at the source and his eyes widened when he saw a tall woman with long blue hair and what seemed to be a tribal tattoo on her neck. Her green eyes held a menacing and angry stare that made him freeze.

However, Gray was not phased. He used the distraction to flip Natsu over against a locker before standing up. "Hmph, consider yourself lucky that I didn't break your arm," he growled.

"Consider yourselves LUCKY you're just getting detention!" The teacher yelled, glaring at both of them in a way that would make anyone's blood run cold.

Lucy backed away when she heard the teacher's voice. This teacher always scared her, and she did not want to be in this teacher's way.

"A-A-Aquarius-sensei!" Natsu stammered as he shook violently. He was so scared that he could feel his teeth chatter. However, Gray just stared at her, his face stoic at all times. Natsu shot Gray a glare. How could he NOT be afraid of her?!

Aquarius smirked maliciously. "That's right. And what's worse than having detention? Well, I'm going to make your lives a living hell!"

The rest of the students quickly walked away, not wanting to be targets of the teacher's wrath. Natsu just simply shivered. This was going to be a bad afternoon.

"Fine," Gray replied. _At least it's better than going home...to THAT place,_ he thought to himself.

Natsu shot Gray a glare. "Fine? Fine?! Do you KNOW what we're dealing with?!" He asked out of fear.

Gray looked away. "It doesn't matter. So why don't you keep your trap shut for the time being?" He walked away.

Natsu twitched. It was official. He had to have detention with not only the scariest teacher in the school, but a cold-hearted prick who thought it was okay to hurt Juvia like he did. This was going to be _fun_ \- out of sarcasm of course.

The grin remained on Aquarius's face. "Well, I look forward to heading your detention later on today. Oh the things I will do! I'm getting chills just thinking about it." Her grin turned into an angry frown. "Now head to class before I expand your detention for two more days." She clapped her hands twice. "CHOP! CHOP!"

Natsu let out a yelp as he rushed away from the area. If there was anyone who made Erza seem tame, it was Aquarius, and Natsu dreaded spending detention with her later on.

Lucy walked with Juvia to her locker, and when she looked at her, Juvia's face was still tearful. "I'm sorry for what Gray did to you," she trailed off.

Juvia looked at Lucy, and she wrapped her arms around her. "How could he do this?! I put everything I had into that lunch! Am I not enough? What can I do to help him?! I don't know what to do anymore!" She cried as more tears streamed down her face onto Lucy's blouse.

Lucy rubbed Juvia's back as she hugged her. "It's going to be okay," she soothed. "Gray is just being an asshole. He doesn't see that you're worth more than he thinks." She stopped hugging her. "Tell you what. Come over after school and we can have a girl's day out."

Juvia blinked in surprise. "You...you mean it?"

Lucy smiled. "Every word," She said. "You need a friend to spend time with and make you happy. Let's forget boys and have fun!" She smiled cheerfully.

Juvia wiped her tears away as she smiled. "Thank you, Lucy. You're a good friend and Juvia is so happy that she got to know you."

Lucy nodded. "Anytime, Juvia. Now let's go to class, alright?" Juvia nodded and the girls walked down the hallway to get ready for class.

Once Natsu was far enough away, he panted and breathed a sigh of relief. "Finally, I'm away from there," he said to no one in particular. "I hate that bastard with EVERY breath in my body. Who does he think he is...hurting others the way he does? I'm SO glad I got to punch his stupid face in!"

"Not like you're any different," A voice sounded from behind him. Natsu turned around to see a tall young man with blonde hair and a scar on his face. This was Laxus Dreyar, the grandson of the school principal.

Natsu narrowed his eyes and scoffed. "Hmph...you don't even know me, you stupid Harry Potter-wannabe."

Laxus scowled at Natsu's insult. "First of all, the stupid one is you. Second, who the hell is Harry Potter? And third, I know you more than you know yourself."

Even through his annoyance, the pink-hair decided to play along with the senior's game. "Alright, humour me. What exactly do you mean?"

Laxus grinned. "You call yourself popular, but let me ask you something. Are you popular because everyone wants to be your friend...or are you popular because people are so afraid that they don't want to be on your bad side?"

Natsu raised an eyebrow. "What the hell are you talking about? I'm popular because I can. It just happened. Can I go now?"

Laxus chuckled as he ignored Natsu's question. "Your father is a small-business owner, but I've got proof that he's something...more."

Now Natsu was REALLY confused. What was this guy saying? "I...don't know what you're talking about," he said, tensing slightly.

Laxus's grin turned dark. "So...you don't know...about your father's OTHER line of work?"

Natsu froze. Other...line of work? He never knew about this other line of work, but on the other hand, he was not sure if Laxus was telling the truth or not. Then the next thing that Laxus said shocked Natsu to the core.

"Your father is the head of the Magnolia branch of the Yakuza...they call him 'The Crimson Dragon'."

* * *

BOOM!

Well I hope you enjoyed. Review and tell me your thoughts, and I will see you in the next chapter! *bows* Ja ne!


	4. Dark Secrets

**Hello everyone! Sorry for the really long wait, hehehe, but after going through writer's block and whatnot, I've FINALLY finished this chapter! I hope it was worth the wait. Also, this is another belated birthday present to Almighty Uchiha, who serves as my beta for these stories! So happy birthday to you once again! Enjoy this chapter everyone!**

 **Warning: A Yuri scene is ahead! For those who don't like yuri (lesbian fun), I will let you know before the scene.**

 **I don't own anyone here except Kaneko Aikawa.**

* * *

Chapter 3: Dark Secrets

Natsu could not move. Laxus's words were echoing through his mind. How could this be true? He knew that his father was a little...off somehow, but he NEVER expected to hear that his father was a criminal. And most importantly, how did Laxus know?

On the other hand, he remembered a long time ago when there was a certain door that was always locked. Having the curiosity of a child, he always asked his father what was behind that door, and with a smile, Igneel simply told him that it was nothing that a child should be concerned about. He also told him to go outside and play. Then for the rest of the day, Natsu would play and not worry too much about it.

But as the years went by, he still could not help but be curious. He saw his father go in and out of this room several times, always wearing fancy clothing. When he asked his father why would he go in and he - Natsu - could not, Igneel would just say it is business and then change the subject.

Now that he knows the truth, he could not help but feel disappointed. How could his father lie to him? Why would his father lie to him? Was he trying to protect him or was it something else? Either way, he knew that he was going to confront his father about this...one way or another.

Laxus smirked. "Well Natsu? Speechless? What are you going to do now, now that you know the truth?"

Natsu narrowed his eyes at Laxus. "What am I going to do?" A wide grin spread across his face as he punched Laxus hard in the face. Laxus yelled as he staggered back. Then the grin disappeared from Natsu's face as he grabbed Laxus's shirt. "You think that would shake me?! I don't care what kind of problem you have with me," he pulled Laxus closer to him, "BUT LEAVE MY FAMILY OUT OF THIS!" He shoved Laxus down and walked away.

"And what about your-" Laxus started, but Natsu stopped walking and gave him a death glare.

"I said...leave...my family...out of this," he snarled and walked off.

Since she was observing this, Kaneko smiled and walked to class, but she accidentally bumped into Aiden along the way. She stopped and said nothing.

"Sorry, miss," Aiden looked at her. "You alright?"

"I'm fine," Kaneko replied. She looked at him. "You're in my classes."

"I believe so," Aiden said as he rubbed the back of his head. "Well this is awkward. I'm going." He walked to class.

"Hmph," Kaneko said as she also went to class.

* * *

Mirajane was at her locker, getting ready for class. Her mind was racing as the events from earlier that day flashed through her mind.

She got to fight with her longtime rival; although she did not remember what happened that made her and Erza rivals. It was probably something stupid. One thing was for sure, though: she just could not stand the red-head's personality...her hot-headed, stubborn personality that was so alike Mirajane. Maybe it is just like what they say...like personalities clash but opposites attract...or MAYBE Mirajane was jealous of the student council president. After all, Erza had everything that she lacked and wanted - popularity, an important status as student council president, attractive features...a boyfriend.

Mirajane closed her locker and sighed. _Boyfriend_...the term seemed new to her. She never had a boyfriend throughout her life. Sure, she may have had crushes here and there, but never exactly _found_ a boyfriend whom she could spend some time with. This fact was embarrassing especially to her because she knew that everyone in school probably had a relationship at some point, even her brother.

Then again, she was not sure if the girl that Elfman went out with stayed very long and could be considered as a girlfriend. In his younger days, Elfman was a shy young man who never had a lot of friends.

Then her mind wandered to the incident where Aiden accidentally groped her. She had _never_ been touched by a man like that...ever since...no...she had never been touched by a man like that. Any dark moment in her life did not count. Maybe that was why she did not have a relationship. She was scared about what would happen, but Aiden seemed...different. At least he knew what he was doing...until it was too late. A small blush appeared in her face as she thought about Aiden...his attractive face, his strong hands, his cool personality.

She shook her head vigorously. "Come on, Mira, stop thinking of such things!" She said out loud to herself.

"Stop thinking about what?" The voice of her brother sounded from behind her.

"EEK!" Mirajane yelped as she turned around and gave her brother a good hard WHACK!

Elfman rubbed his head. "Ow... You hit like a man, sis."

"You think?!" Mirajane snapped. "You startled me!"

Elfman rubbed his head a bit more before lowering his hands. "Sorry," he apologized. He looked at Mirajane again. "Are you alright, sis? You seem disturbed by something."

Mirajane scowled as she turned around sharply. "Nothing is bothering me! Don't say such things!"

"You were blushing and flustered," Elfman pointed out.

An irritated blush crept on her face. "S-So? Not like it matters!"

Elfman smiled. "I'll just drop it for now."

Mirajane looked at him. "What do you want, Elfman?"

"Uhh," Elfman scratched his head as he tried to remember what he wanted to talk to Mirajane about, "You got detention after school right?"

Mirajane gave him a look. "No, I don't, but I do have cheerleading. I AM the cheerleader captain after all."

"Right, right," Elfman replied. "Uhhh..." Don't you hate it when you forgot what you wanted to say?

"Well?" Mirajane waited.

"Nothing," Elfman said with a sulk. "I had it on the tip of my tongue, but then I lost it."

"Hmph, then you're wasting my time," Mirajane sneered. "I'm late for class." She walked to her class.

"She's more of a man than I am," Elfman mumbled to himself as he walked to class. When he was walking down the hallway, he and Gray glanced at each other as they passed each other. The tension between the two was so thick that you could cut it with a knife.

"Tch," Gray made a noise as he walked away.

Elfman stopped and watched him leave. "On second thought...if anyone would be less of a man, it would be him." He walked to his class.

* * *

The rest of the day went by slowly for all classes.

In the second year class, Gray was barely paying any attention, and Natsu's mind was wandering for Laxus's words kept echoing in his head. He kept worrying about how many people knew about his family's secret, and he kept questioning why he was the only one who was in the dark. _Was Dad like him?_ He thought to himself as he remembered the horrible acts that happened in the past. He ghosted his fingers over the scar on his neck, remembering cold steel on his flesh as he flinched. _Will he ever come back?_

He looked at Gray who was staring into space in his seat and then looked away. He still could believe that he had to spend detention with him. Natsu looked back at the teacher who was saying something about a test at the end of the week. At least, he will have something to take his mind off of everything.

In the third year class, Cana just sighed in her seat. Mirajane took notes in her book, but ended up doodling instead. When she finished, she looked at her work. It was not great, but at a closer look, it could very well be Aiden. She softly groaned as she scratched the drawing out, burying her face in her arms.

Aiden did not have to hear her groan. He could already tell that she was having trouble with something as he was watching her. After class, he's going to talk to her.

Class went on for what seemed to be forever, and Aiden got up from his seat and walked after Mirajane. "Hey wait up!" He called after her.

Mirajane shot him a glare. "What do you want?"

Aiden rubbed the back of his head. "Look...about earlier, I'm sorry for touching you there. It was an accident."

Mirajane sighed. "Fine, I'll forgive you...for now. However, don't do it again or I will cut your hand off."

"Fair enough," Aiden replied. "I want to ask you...are you alright?"

Mirajane gave him a look. "I'm fine. Why?"

"You seemed to be in distress. Figured that maybe I can help."

Mirajane turned around, a small blush rising in her cheeks. "There's nothing you can do. Nothing is bothering me."

"You seem almost as tense as earlier. Are you sure?"

"Nothing is bothering me! So stop asking!" Mirajane snapped as she walked away. Aiden grabbed her arm, making her look at him. "Let go..."

Aiden shook his head. "Not until you open up. Something is bothering you. You can tell me, you know that right? It will make you feel better."

"No it won't," Mirajane said as she shook her head. "It's better not to tell you something that I don't understand myself."

"What do you mean?"

Mirajane looked at him. "Please let go. It's better that you let me go for the rest of the day."

Aiden chuckled as he let her go. "I'll let you go this time, but promise me that you will smile alright? I'm sorry for being so forward. I'll see you later." He put his hands in his pockets and walked away, silently cursing himself for the actions that he took.

Mirajane put her hand against her chest. She ended up being like a fool in front of Aiden. Perhaps she would leave everything alone, but even when he grabbed her hand, he was rather gentle. She smiled slightly at the thought of his touch. Maybe someday...she will tell him how she felt.

* * *

The final class of the day went by even slower than the previous one, probably because it was coming close to another long day. Lucy was texting someone before class started. Noticing this, Juvia looked over her shoulder. "Who are you texting, Lucy-san?"

Lucy smiled at Juvia. "A friend of mine. You will meet her soon."

Juvia smiled. "I can't wait!"

Then when Wakaba came in, the slow and tedious class began. It started with a quiz, and Natsu noticed Gray's stoic face as he looked at the paper before him. He was not sure what he was thinking, but little did he know, Gray was unsure of the paper in front of him. He turned back to his paper and started to answer the questions.

Gray just looked at the test as though he had never seen it before. He put his hand over his necklace and softened his eyes as he thought about his parents and what they would have wanted. He could not disrespect their memory...despite his attitude as of late. At least he had some dignity left to do the best he can in school so that he can get out of the current mess he's in. He put his pen to the paper to answer the questions, but the angry words of a certain someone kept ringing in his mind.

 _"You'll NEVER amount to anything in this world! You're nothing but a low-life! Those days of when you spent with your parents? Forget them! You're trash! You're garbage! No one cares about a criminal who MURDERED his aunt!"_

Gray clenched his teeth as he tried to block out the voice. He told himself that he would not care about anything anyone says anymore, so why are these words affecting him? It was simple.

He was only 8 when it happened. The authorities found him crying over the body of his aunt, Ur, holding the knife that was used to kill her. They arrested him on the spot, without investigating it further first. Then it all went to hell afterwards. He was let go, given a home, but he was never loved. There were many times he ran away. The only items that kept him going were his mementos of his parents - the small crystal angel that his mother gave him and his silver necklace that his father gave him.

There was a saying that he heard which he lived by: the only way to escape hell is go through it, and that was what he had been doing the past 9 years. He had to be strong if he ever wanted things to be better. He looked at the paper again and started answering questions to the best of his ability.

Twenty minutes went by and Wakaba called to the class, "Time. Please pass your papers to the front." Everyone did as what they were told.

Gray looked at his test and sighed as he looked at the many blank spaces on the paper. It was only a quiz right? He can do better, and it was only the beginning of the year. However, that was something that an optimistic person would say. This was Gray on the other hand. He silently cursed himself as he passed his paper to the front.

Sting and Rogue whispered to each other while looking at Gray as he walked back to his seat. Juvia looked at Gray with sad eyes. _So Juvia guesses he didn't do well,_ She thought to herself, _he must definitely be fighting some inner demons. It makes sense._

The rest of the class drew out forever, and Gray did not pay attention at all. He dreaded what the other tests would be, but even worse, he dreaded going home. At least detention will be enough to stall him. He leaned back in his chair. He knew he had to get something to eat at some point as he missed lunch for the right reasons, but once again he did not have any money. He cursed himself under his breath. _Gray...your life is shit,_ he thought to himself.

The end of the day finally came and the students walked out of the classroom. Loke looked at Natsu. "So detention huh? Already showing how much of a bad boy you are?"

Natsu glared at Loke, affected by what Laxus told him earlier. "Shut up."

Loke put his hands up. "Whoa! What's up with that response? I didn't mean it as an insult. Besides, girls love bad boys."

"I'm not in the mood to hear that right now," Natsu looked away. "Besides, you know what I did to deserve it. I've accepted it."

Loke leaned in to whisper in Natsu's ear as he looked at Juvia. "Juvia's pretty hot and I know you liiiike her. No wonder you fought Gray over her."

Natsu elbowed Loke in the chest. "Idiot, she's a friend!"

Loke rubbed his chest as he put some distance between him and Natsu. "Just a joke," he laughed sheepishly. Then he frowned. "Besides, you need to lighten up. I get that today was a bad day, and it's my job as a friend to make sure that you're smiling."

Natsu sighed. "Yeah...sorry. It's just as you said, today was a bad day. Maybe I should stop letting things affect me."

Loke patted his friend on the back. "It's cool, bro. It's just one of those moments at the end of the day where you just want to lie down and rest."

"Yeah, first the torture of detention," Natsu pointed out.

"Touche," Loke replied.

"Well, I'll see you tomorrow, man," Natsu waved as he walked away.

"Take care, Natsu," Loke trailed off before he walked to his locker to get ready for home.

Natsu walked toward the designated room and sighed. "Wonder what we're going to do." When he walked into the room, he noticed Gray sitting on his chair looking out the window. On the other side was Aiden Hinote and Jellal Fernandes. The former surprised him. "Jellal?! What are you doing here?"

"Same as you, Rosy," Jellal shot back. He glared at Gray before looking back to the front.

Natsu twitched at the nickname. "The colour of my hair has NOTHING to do with this!"

Jellal chuckled. "Keep telling yourself that."

Aiden looked at Natsu. "Ignore him, Natsu. He's a loser who doesn't know better."

"Says the one who groped BOTH my girlfriend AND Mirajane," Jellal remarked.

"He did what?!" Natsu looked at Aiden.

"It was an accident," Aiden pointed out. "Something that a pussy like you doesn't understand, Jellal."

The insult made Jellal laugh. "You crack me up, Hinote." Then he glared at Aiden. "However, it's clear that you like Erza, but I've got one thing to say about that: she's mine so back off."

Aiden chuckled. "I never said that I liked her." _Not like she will go out with me anyway,_ he said in his head. "So stop acting like a fucking child, Jellal. You're giving me a headache."

Jellal rolled his eyes and said nothing after that.

Outside, Aquarius was walking toward the room when she was greeted by a man calling out to her. "So Aquarius, I heard that there was a fight earlier."

Aquarius turned around to face a thin, tall man with silver hair and glasses. This was Kagari Ichinose, the second-year History teacher. "Yes, that's right," she said with a lightly irritated tone. "I'm dealing with it now."

"Alright well just so you know, I have concerns for the one called Gray Fullbuster," Kagari stated. "He's a problem child, so I've observed."

"He never appeared in my class, so I'll make sure to discipline him well," Aquarius replied. "After all, I'm going to put him through hell...the same as Natsu and the 3rd year students that Gildarts sent."

Kagari sighed as he rubbed his head. "Well good luck on that. Oh and Aquarius?"

Aquarius looked up at him with furrowed eyebrows. "What now? I'm running LATE, Kagari!"

"Yeah, I get that," Kagari said, but then he paused for a moment. "You know what? Never mind. Sorry for wasting your time." He rubbed the back of his head with a sheepish smile as he walked away. He was going to ask her out for drinks so that she could calm her mind, but he realized that it was being too forward. Besides, she may have a boyfriend or she could reject him for some other reason. So he decided to just let it go...for now.

Aquarius pursed her lips as she twitched with irritation. She did not like having her time wasted, especially from some silver-haired history teacher. With a sigh, she walked toward the room where the detention was held and entered. "Alright you brats listen up!"

Natsu stood at attention while Aiden, Gray and Jellal just looked up. Here comes hell...this was the thought in Aiden, Jellal and Natsu's minds. Gray, as usual, did not care. He just wanted to get this over with so that he could smoke and get something to eat.

"First of all, your detention will be in the gymnasium," Aquarius started. _No surprises there,_ Aiden thought to himself. "Second, I'll put each and every one of you to work." She held up a few sheets of paper that were neatly collated and stapled. "You are to do EACH job efficiently and to my standards," she started to hand out the copies, "I will have NO talking, fighting or any kind of stupid or reckless behaviour. If I catch you doing the above, your detention will be extended...meaning more fun for me." She smirked as she gave her final copy to Gray and then glared at him. Then she turned to the rest of the group. "Now that you got your copies, leave your things here and walk with me to the gymnasium. Oh! And this is the first part of the detention. Let's go." She walked out of the classroom.

Natsu groaned as he got up while looking at the list. There was a lot of things to do here - clean the gym, put things away, set up for homecoming. Is she planning on working them through labour? This was not Natsu's style. He had better things to do than do things like these.

Jellal snarled as he looked at the list. He was the captain of the football team, and he was reduced to something like this? _That fucking Aiden...it was his fault,_ He thought angrily to himself.

Aiden looked at the list and just sighed. If he has to do something like this, then he had no choice. Also, he wondered what the other thing was. _This is going to be a long afternoon,_ he thought to himself as he rubbed his head.

Gray just walked ahead without looking at his list. He knew that he was in for a rough afternoon, but he did not care. As long as no one bothers him, then it should be smooth sailing.

"Hey," Aiden said to him as he walked next to him. "I heard what you did to that girl."

Gray glared at him. "Your point? Besides, didn't the teacher say no talking?"

Aiden ignored the second question. "My point is that if you keep acting like that, you'll be alone. Do you want that? To be alone?"

Gray stopped and looked at him, the glare still on his face. "Look, I've had it up to here with people's bullshit." He put a hand next to his shoulder. "I'd rather be alone than anything else! So don't talk to me and then I won't have to break you." He walked away further.

Aiden twitched and then chuckled. "As if you could break me," he said as he followed.

Once everyone gathered in the gymnasium, they started to do the things on the list. Aquarius watched them all like a hawk as they did their work. Putting things away was the easiest thing...it was just putting away balls and nets and locking them up in the storage room, but cleaning was especially difficult. The students that did their class in the gymnasium left marks from their shoes, and that was a pain to clean up.

Setting up for the event at the end of the week took a lot of effort as well especially with the heavy lifting, and it was mainly done outside. Natsu wanted to taunt Jellal about doing this kind of manual labour, but he remembered what Aquarius said and kept quiet.

Once everyone was done with that, they gathered back into the gymnasium. "Now you brats, sit your asses down," Aquarius ordered and the boys did as they were told. Natsu looked around, wondering what was coming up next, while Aiden rubbed his head in exhaustion. She started to pass lined paper and pencils to the boys. "Now you are going to write lines - 500 lines each - of this sentence." She picked up some chalk and wrote on the chalkboard next to them this sentence: fighting is stupid and reckless behaviour. The boys groaned and grumbled at this, but Aquarius silenced them loudly. "ENOUGH! You will do this or else! Is that understood?!"

"Yes, ma'am," the boys answered in unison and started writing their lines.

* * *

 _ **And the yuri moment is in this scene. If you don't like it, you can skip it. However, this scene is also very important as it will give you a chance to get to know Juvia a bit more as well as the other character introduced in this scene.**_

Lucy and Juvia walked down the street toward an apartment. "So are we going to your house?" Juvia asked.

Lucy answered, "You'll see. This is my building, but we're actually going to a friend's apartment."

Juvia stopped. "Friend's?" She repeated. She thought it would be the two of them, so why is she inviting her to a friend's apartment? Juvia was really nervous and confused by Lucy's answer.

"Hey, don't worry about it," Lucy assured. "You'll really like her. She's a kind of girl who knows how to have fun."

Juvia smiled timidly. "If Lucy says so..."

They walked up the stairs to the apartment, and Lucy knocked on the door. A busty, red-haired woman answered it, wearing black lingerie under a robe. "Lucy!" The girl squealed as she hugged her friend. Juvia just gave a puzzled look as she let the girls greet each other.

Lucy hugged back. "It's good to see you, Keria!"

"It's good to see you too!" Keria exclaimed as she stopped hugging Lucy and then kissed her on the lips. Juvia was shocked at the action. Is this girl...a lesbian? Not like she had any problem with it.

Keria looked at Juvia with a sly smile. "And who is this sexy girl?"

"This is my new friend, Juvia Lockser," Lucy introduced. "She is the girl I was telling you about."

"Hello," Juvia greeted with a polite bow.

"Hey, no need to be so formal," Keria said, "Any friend of Lucy's is a friend of mine as well!"

Juvia straightened. "Are you sure?"

Keria stepped behind Juvia as she straightened and groped her. "I'm sure," she smirked, "so relax."

Juvia jumped back a bit, surprised by the action. "Eek!" She squealed.

Lucy chuckled. "Don't worry, Juvia, Keria has an odd way of making friends, but you'll get used to it. Besides, her ways are to make new friends and also to make them more relaxed."

Keria nodded. "That's right." She started to massage Juvia's shoulders. "So relax tonight and get comfortable. Forget about boys for just tonight."

The action made Juvia a bit more relaxed and she smiled contently. This girl gives amazing shoulder massages. "Yeah...I suppose you're right."

Keria stopped massaging Juvia and stepped back a bit. "Well, snacks are in the kitchen, so help yourself and we can spend some time together. Also, please get comfortable. My apartment is yours after all."

Lucy grabbed Juvia's hand and led her to the kitchen. "Come on, Juvia!"

"Alright," Juvia replied as she followed her to the kitchen.

There, they were met with snacks and appetizers, such as cheese, fruit, crackers, tempura, sushi, sashimi, inari (rice wrapped in a sweet, tofu blanket), chicken wings, gyoza dumplings, potato chips, raw veggies, pigs in a blanket (hot dogs in puff pastry), hot dogs shaped as octopi, savoury tarts, mini quiches, and an array of dipping sauces. And of course, there were drinks like punch, soda, tea, and juice.

Juvia took a pair of chopsticks and helped herself to some of the snacks. When she took a bite of a chicken puff pastry with a small dollop of satay peanut on it, her eyes lit up and she could see stars. "This is amazing!"

Lucy smiled as she dipped a celery stick into a small bowl of ranch sauce. "Yeah, those are my favourite. Keria is a talented cook."

Juvia finished her ordearv, and looked at Lucy. "Juvia is curious. How did you two meet?"

Nostalgia showed on Lucy's face as she answered, "Well, we met in grammar school. She was rather crazy, but I didn't mind." She giggled. "She always had that warm and friendly personality that I always enjoyed. We became best friends really quickly."

Juvia smiled. "You're lucky, Lucy. Juvia wishes she had friends like that."

"Then your wish will be granted tonight!" Keria exclaimed as she walked in the kitchen. She gave them each a bag. "Here! Presents for you both!"

Juvia set down her plate of appetizers and opened the bag. She took out a lingerie outfit and studied it with a quizzical expression. "Hm?" The outfit was dark blue with small frills around the collar and sleeves. "It's...cute..."

"Put it on!" Keria coaxed. "I want you girls to be really comfortable tonight."

The touch of the silky fabric told Juvia that this outfit would be really comfortable. She looked at Keria. "Are you sure?"

"Of course! And the outfit is yours so I want you to keep it," Keria smiled.

Juvia nodded in understanding. "Alright, I'll change after this plate."

"Whenever you like," Keria replied. She looked at Lucy who was admiring her ruby red outfit.

"I can't wait to try this on," Lucy said with excitement in her voice.

Keria walked toward her and stroked her face. "I can't wait to see you in it." She smirked slyly. Lucy shuddered.

Once Juvia finished her plate of appetizers, the girls got changed in their lingerie outfits, and the night began. They played games such as Truth or Dare and Never Have I Ever, and talked while getting to know each other. Juvia smiled as she participated in the festivities. She learned so much from both girls, and realized that she can be comfortable around them.

Keria herself was a very interesting character, but she never talked very much about her parents except for the fact she really loved them and her mother, who happened to be a nurse, was her best friend. Once Juvia asked her what happened, Keria quickly changed the subject. However, she did have a family whom she lived with in that apartment. Her friend, Gin, and adopted brother Kunou, were out on the town to leave the girls to their festivities.

"So Juvia, tell me about yourself," Keria said.

"Well...Juvia always was alone, but you knew that already. She likes to sew, knit, cook, and swim. Um..." Juvia was deep in thought.

"Oh really?!" Keria exclaimed. "What things do you like to sew and knit?"

"Oh Juvia can do anything - weaving friendship bracelets, sewing bags, making stuffed animals and other things."

"I want to see some of your work sometime," Lucy said.

"Actually, Juvia can show you a piece right now." She walked toward her bag and took out a stuffed snowman, made of white wool. It had small, button eyes and a tiny carrot nose.

The girls cooed when they saw it. "So cute!" Keria squealed. "You're really talented, Juvia!" Lucy complimented.

"Thank you," Juvia replied as she smiled. "It passes the time and makes me happy."

"Perhaps you can make something for us one day," Keria said.

"Yeah, Juvia can do that. Just let me know what you want and what fabric as well, and I'll see what I can do." Juvia put the snowman in her lap.

"And also, I'd like to try what you cook as well," Keria said. Then she frowned, "And don't worry about that jerk who threw your lunch away. He's really stupid. If he does that again, call me and I can set him straight."

Juvia blinked. "Sure, what's your number?"

Keria smirked. "Check your phone. When you and Lucy were getting food, I put my number in there just in case you need it." Lucy chuckled while Juvia nodded in understanding. Keria's smirk turned into a friendly smile. "But I'm serious, if you need a friend or any..." She sensually groped Juvia's breast, "Girl-time. Feel free to call."

Juvia blushed. "O...kay."

Keria kissed Juvia deeply on the mouth and started to feel her up. Juvia moaned as she let Keria have her fun. Lucy bit her lip as she watched. Noticing this, Keria started to feel Lucy's nether region, earning a gasp. Then Lucy started to slowly undo Juvia's lingerie so that she can give her some pleasure as well. Not wanting to be left out, Juvia guided Lucy's head to her nether region so that she can have a taste. Keria undid the rest of Lucy's lingerie since she partially stripped during a game of Truth or Dare and took a hold of her breast while she kissed Juvia's neck. Juvia moaned loudly as she arched her back a little.

While this was going on, a boy with red hair and a scar near his eye watched from the closet. He was tied up and gagged, and when he saw the girls giving each other pleasure, he became really uncomfortable as he was incredibly turned on by this. _Damn it...Keria!_ He cursed as he watched.

* * *

However, not everyone was having fun. Detention ended for the boys and they headed home. After pickpocketing someone on the street, Gray bought himself something to eat and walked toward his neighbourhood, a pained expression on his face.

The atmosphere around said neighbourhood could make anyone cringe. It was more of a slum...with broken-down buildings and dirty streets. Motorbikes parked next to several of the buildings, and some of the windows on these buildings were boarded up or covered up with a blanket.

The residents who lived in this neighbourhood were just as rough as their surroundings. To the left of Gray, he could see a couple of gruff-looking men beating up another man. Knowing that he was outnumbered, he thought it was pointless to stop it. He also did not feel like it, and he was a bit roughed up himself thanks to that morning.

He continued toward his own building, which was in just as bad of a shape as the other buildings. Its white paint was chipped and dust from the streets blew around it. If he can get in without alerting anyone, he would make it in one piece. He entered the building and shuddered as he walked up the stairs...the very stairs that he fell down that morning.

"FULLBUSTER!" A voice sounded from behind him.

Gray stopped and sighed - so much for that plan. He slowly turned around to face a scarred man with purple hair. This was Gray's landlord, the very person he hated the most. "What do you want now, Cobra?" He asked, attitude lacing in his voice. "If you want to know about where my money is, I don't have any and I won't get paid until next week."

"Don't give me that ATTITUDE, boy!" Cobra yelled. "And don't get smart either!"

Gray looked ahead of him and saw two men leering down at him. One was tall and thin with red hair, a pointy nose, and sunglasses. The other was slightly shorter and had a gothic appearance to him - he had black hair that was outlined with blue and black lipstick donned his lips. He smirked. "Oh so you brought the cross-dresser and scarecrow to back you up. Typical of you, Cobra."

The tall man, known as Racer, jabbed the top of a baseball bat into Gray's stomach hard. "AH!" Gray yelled as he held onto the wall for support.

Cobra walked up the stairs toward Gray. "You have 5 seconds..."

"I told you I don't HAVE any money!" Gray shouted as he turned toward Cobra. He felt an arm go around his neck and a knee on his back. "AHH!" He yelled.

"Don't lie, Fullbuster," Midnight, the goth, threatened in Gray's ear. "Where is it?"

"Where is what?!" Gray demanded.

"My MONEY, Gray!" Cobra was now in front of Gray. "My MONEY was stolen this morning. You think you can rob ME and GET AWAY WITH IT?!" He punched Gray hard in the face.

"UGH!" Gray yelled. "I didn't TAKE your fucking money! I WAS AT SCHOOL DAMN IT!"

Cobra grabbed Gray's face and squeezed hard. "Don't fucking lie to me, Gray. After I kicked your ass this morning, I stepped out. An hour later, you were gone and SO WAS MY MONEY, SO COUGH IT UP!"

"I...didn't...take it," Gray said slowly.

"Wrong answer," Cobra said. "Take him upstairs."

Midnight nodded as he dragged Gray upstairs and shoved him into his apartment. Racer and Cobra walked up to him and stood beside him. "One more chance to tell me where the fuck my money is, you retarded little thief, and I won't have to break every damn bone in your body." He kicked Gray hard in the ribs.

"UGH!" Gray yelled. "I didn't take it, I promise you!"

"Don't make pointless promises when you took my GOD DAMN MONEY, FULLBUSTER! EVERYONE KNOWS YOU'RE A FUCKING THIEF!" He stomped on Gray's back.

"AND YOU'RE A FUCKING CROOK!" Gray screamed back. "You're a fucking coward who messes with ME for some stupid reason!"

Racer stepped on Gray's legs and raised the baseball bat to break them. "Don't talk to Cobra that way, you FOOLISH CRIMINAL!"

"At ease for now, Racer," Cobra said. Racer lowered the baseball bat, and Cobra turned back to Gray. "So you want to play huh?" He kneeled on Gray's back, putting all his weight on it. "I was nice enough to get you off the streets, and this is how you repay me?"

"DON'T GIVE ME THAT BULLSHIT!" Gray shouted.

Cobra smirked. "You think I'm lying?!" He put his hands under Gray's chin and locked them together. "You're more stupid than I give you CREDIT FOR!" He pulled up, arching Gray's back in an impossible angle, causing him to scream in agony. "You want it to not hurt anymore than WHERE'S MY MONEY?!"

"I DIDN'T TAKE IT! AHHHHHHHHHH!" Gray screamed. He tried to pry Cobra's hands away from him, but to no avail and Cobra pulled up a bit more.

"I'll snap you like a fucking TWIG if you don't tell me, BOY!" Cobra yelled.

"LET ME GO! I DIDN'T TAKE IT! AHH!" Gray tried to writhe to break free, he tried to tap, he tried to do anything he could to break free but nothing worked. Cobra's grip was really strong and he refused to let go.

"Search the apartment," Cobra ordered.

Midnight already started the search, and Racer faced Cobra. "And if the money is found?"

"Then feel free to break whatever you want," Cobra grinned.

"Alright!" Racer exclaimed as he went to search.

"LET ME GO!" Gray screamed. He was starting to pass out due to the pain, but he struggled to fight for consciousness.

"I think I'll just torture you for a bit," Cobra let him go, but letting him drop.

"AHHH!" Gray yelled in pain as he straightened out again. His back and neck were incredibly sore after being put in the submission hold for that long. He did not think he could move again. If he was in that hold for a minute longer, his back would have been broken and he would be paralyzed. How he HATED being in this place!

Cobra kneeled in front of Gray. "So...does it hurt?"

"Sh-shut up!" Gray stammered as he clenched his teeth.

"I'll make it hurt some more then," He picked up Gray by the hair, and the boy struggled to get free. Then he punched him hard in the face, followed by three hard punches to the ribs and gut. Gray screamed in pain. Then Cobra took a hold of his arm and twisted it around his back.

"STOP! THAT'S MY RIGHT ARM! I HAVE A TEST THIS WEEK! STOP!" Gray yelled.

Cobra grinned. "That's too bad. You're going to flunk it anyway!" He twisted the arm, and Gray could feel a snap.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" He screamed in agony as he held his arm.

Midnight walked out with Racer, holding a wad of cash in his hand. "Sir, we found the money," He announced.

It was at that moment Gray knew that he was framed. "Wh-what?!" His eyes widened.

Cobra took the money back and looked at Gray. "Racer, you can break whatever bone you want. Keep in mind I broke his arm." He smirked.

Racer spun the baseball bat in his arm as he walked toward Gray. "Oh this is going to be fun."

"No!" Gray begged. "I didn't take it! I was framed! LISTEN TO ME!"

Racer smirked. "Now how can I listen to a pathetic loser whom no one really cares about anyway?" He swung the bat down and hit Gray on the ribs, shattering them and earning a scream. Then he moved toward Gray's shin and swung down on it, snapping it in two, earning ANOTHER painful scream.

In an apartment across the hall, a young man slightly older than Gray grinned. He had light blue hair which hung over in pieces over his forehead. This man's name was Lyon Vastia, and he was Gray's adoptive brother. "Oh how I love it...when you scream, Gray." He chuckled maliciously. "Perhaps that should teach you some lessons."

In Gray's apartment, he lay on the floor, broken and bleeding while staring at the ceiling in a daze. He was so injured that he wanted to die to spare himself the agony. Cobra looked down and then knelt beside him. "Now then, let this be a lesson to you, Gray. You're over a month behind in rent and we're coming up to 2 months, so you have until the end of this week to cough up the money needed or else...so help me...I will put you in SO much hell it will make your sorry state seem like a minor SPRAIN!"

Gray spat in Cobra's face. "This is why...you're a damn crook. Your rent is too high and my monthly cheque can't cover that much as well as food."

Cobra growled as he wiped his face. Then he took his knife and pressed it against the injured boy's throat. "That's NOT my problem! I don't CARE what you do to scrape up the money, but do it SOON or the consequences will be severe!" He raised the knife slightly and cut Gray's chin. "Take this as a warning, boy." He stood up. "Have his wounds taken care of. We're done."

His henchmen nodded as they picked Gray up off the floor, making him wince in pain as they tried to move him. Cobra turned to him one more time. "Oh and Gray," he said, "if you steal money from other people...and believe me I do have my ways of finding out, I can EASILY call the cops." He smirked once more. "So good luck finding someone to help you. You have 3 days to come up with $250, or it's your head." He walked out of the apartment.

Gray looked down as he was carried out of the room. How can he get that much in just 3 days and without stealing? It just was not fair, and finding someone to help him is like finding a needle in the haystack. His last thought before passing out was this... _What the hell am I going to do now?_

* * *

At the Dragneel estate, Natsu entered the massive house and walked through the hallway. A boy with blue hair, who did not look a day older than fifteen, approached him. "Good evening, Natsu!" He greeted with a friendly smile. His eyes held a sparkle that would brighten anyone's day, and that was probably why he was a good candidate to be a servant to the Dragneel family. It was also why he was given the nickname...Happy.

Natsu returned the greeting with a tired smile. "Evening, Happy. Is Dad home?"

"He's in his office, but I can take your bag for you," Happy offered.

Natsu looked at Happy. He always treated the young man as a friend, but he is also there to make a living so the kid deserves something to do. He took off his bag and gave it to Happy. "Here you are," Natsu said. Then he took out his wallet and gave Happy a ten-dollar bill. "And here's something for your trouble."

Happy took it. "Cool!" He exclaimed. "Thanks, man!" He walked upstairs, carrying Natsu's bag.

"Yeah," Natsu replied. "Well, I should be thanking you." He walked down the hall to where the mysterious room was. This was his chance to find out his father's secret.

When he reached the door, he held his ear against it, checking to see if anyone was inside. No one was inside, and that told him that the coast was clear. He reached into his shirt pocket and took out a pin that he "borrowed" from a teacher's desk earlier. Then he put the pin into the lock and began to pick at it, praying that he would unlock the door before he is caught.

The lock finally clanked after about 5 minutes and the door was unlocked. After pocketing the pin, Natsu silently opened the door and looked inside. It was a well-furnished room that was no bigger than a basement suite. Leather couches were arranged around a poker table that had ashtrays, chips and playing cards. On the walls, there were portraits that were painted professionally, and a red dragon mural was on the far wall, decorated by tiny tiles and precious stones.

Natsu looked at a bulletin board to his left and noticed newspaper clippings that showcased his father's achievements. Below the bulletin board was a desk with drawers made of marble on the front and paperwork on top of the desk. He carefully opened the top drawer and saw an array of rings - thick, silver - each with a jewel inside a dragon's mouth. If he remembered correctly from the various mafia-style movies he had seen, these were definitely rings that belonged to a mob gang leader.

He grumbled under his breath. Why did he not know about this? He did not know who to trust anymore. After all, this was his dad. He closed the drawer carefully and was about to walk out when he came face to face with his father, a tall, well-dressed man with locks of red hair that partially covered his eyes. Natsu stepped back, feeling a lot of tension as he was caught and now face to face with one of the most powerful men in Magnolia.

"Hello, son..." Igneel greeted. He narrowed his eyes. "What are you doing here?"

* * *

 **CLIFFHANGER NO JUTSU!**

 **I hope you enjoyed this chapter as it was quite the ride writing it. You'll get Igneel's explanation next chapter and more! But in the meantime, please let me know what you think!**


	5. The Truth about Igneel

**HELLO EVERYONE! I** **know it's been AGES since I last uploaded a chapter, but I've been busy with my other fanfic and projects, as well as life in general. I've also been writing a rough plan for this story behind the scenes with my good friend HarbingerofFire. So here it is, guys! Even though it's my birthday today, I am giving this gift to all of you. Hope this chapter was well worth the wait.**

 ** _Disclaimer: I do not own anything in this story, except for Kaneko Aikawa. Riku, Keria, Gin, Kunou, and Aiden are owned by HarbingerofFire. Kagari is owned by ShiningMoonSlayer. Fairy Tail is owned by Mashima._**

* * *

Chapter 4: The Truth About Igneel

Natsu was like a deer caught in headlights. _Uh oh..._ he was not sure what he would do or how he would answer his father's question. What would he say anyway? That he found out from some student who knew for some reason his father's secret, so he wanted to confirm it? He was not sure how he would answer that question, but he knew that with his father's impatient glare he had to think of something fast.

"Natsu!" Igneel snapped. "Answer me when I'm talking to you! What...are...you DOING here?! I told you MANY times not to come in here! And yet, here you are, so explain to me, young man! And you better explain to me or else you are grounded for a week!"

Not wanting to get in trouble, Natsu blurted out, "I was looking for you!"

Igneel sighed for he knew that his son was lying. "You should have asked the servants. USE common sense!"

"I asked Happy..." Natsu started.

"And what did he say?" Igneel demanded, interrupting his son.

"That you were working in your study," Natsu replied, mentally kicking himself for the obvious lie. That was the first thing that came to his mind, and he knew it was stupid from the get-go.

"Exactly," Igneel snapped, "Now answer me again...what ARE you doing here?!"

His father's menacing tone froze the blood in Natsu's veins. No matter what he tried, he could not move no matter how much he willed his legs to. He took a deep breath and looked his father in the eye. "I found out from a student today that you were a member of the Yakuza," he answered honestly, bracing himself for whatever response his father could have.

Igneel said nothing as his gaze softened. He had a feeling that his son would find out eventually, but who would have told him? He cursed that son of a bitch under his breath for overstepping a boundary, which should have been Dragneel business and Dragneel business alone. "Who?" He growled.

Natsu swallowed a big lump in his throat. "Laxus Dreyar," He answered.

"And how...pray-tell...did he find out about this?" Igneel spoke slowly, making his son shiver from his menacing tone.

"I-I don't know," Natsu replied. "I wanted to find out for myself. He said that everyone may have known about it."

"Certain people already know," Igneel responded as he took a breath to calm himself down, "but that's not important. What's important...is that you are in big trouble."

Natsu looked down in shame, knowing what he was in trouble for. "I know," he said, "I should have done things differently."

Igneel patted his son's head and smiled. "But I don't blame you for it. How did you get in anyway?" He asked curiously.

Natsu was confused. He thought he was in trouble, so why is his father being comforting? _I can never understand my old man sometimes,_ he finished his thoughts as he put a hand into his shirt pocket. "I borrowed a pin from the teacher's desk and picked the lock," he said as he took out the safety pin.

Igneel chuckled. "You're just like me when I was your age."

Natsu was now frustrated. He looked up, his eyes full of anger and frustration. "I thought I was in trouble so why the change in attitude?!"

Igneel was slightly taken aback by his son's anger, but he relaxed and sighed. "Because I told you many times not to come in here and you disobeyed me. You should know that. However, that doesn't mean that I blame you. You found out today by some young man who was related to Dreyar. Even though you found out the wrong way, I did NOT want you to find out this way. So you will be disciplined for your action."

However, Natsu's expression did not change. "Why did you keep this from me anyway? You were my hero! My best friend! Why did you lie to me all my life and not TELL me about this?! I thought we had some sort of...father-son _trust!_ "

Igneel's eyes softened with guilt. If there was any time to tell his son about his life as a mobster, it would be now. "This was precisely why I didn't want you to come in here. I needed to protect you...after what happened to your mother..." He rubbed the back of his neck as he sighed.

"My mother? You told me that she died from an accident!" Natsu shouted.

Igneel nodded as he remembered that horrible night. "You need to sit down for this one. I have a lot to tell you, and I know you have more questions for me as well."

Natsu glared at his father for a moment before sitting down on the plush leather sofa, slightly amazed at how comfortable it was underneath him. Then he looked at his father again. "Fine, tell me and you better make it good."

"No promises on making it good," Igneel pointed out, "but I will tell you. First of all," he went to a refrigerator near the dragon mural, "you must be thirsty. What would you like? I've got beer...which is for me, so don't say beer," he chuckled. "Then we have juice, water and pop."

"Pop please," Natsu requested.

"What kind? Orange, Cream Soda, Ginger Ale, Cola, or Sprite?"

"Cola sounds good," Natsu answered.

"Cola, it is," Igneel said as he took out a can and tossed it to Natsu, who caught it easily. "Good catch," he complimented as he took out a bottle of beer and closed the door. Then he walked back to his son and sat down next to him.

Natsu opened his can and sipped it, content with the way the refreshing liquid felt going down his throat...especially after the arduous detention he had to go through. He looked at his father. "So question 1...what really happened to my mother?"

Igneel opened his beer, took a sip, and put it on a coaster on the table. Then he sighed as he put his head in his hands. "Where to begin? When I first told your mother about my line of business - this was when you were in her womb - she got so angry with me that she packed up and left for about a week. Knowing that she needed some time to think things through, I let her go, telling her it would be alright if we had some time apart to let things settle. She lived with her mother for about a week, and me? Well I lived a week of regret."

"No shit," Natsu remarked, "How long did you live in this world?"

"Ever since your mother, Ophelia, and I started our relationship," Igneel answered, "we were fresh out of college and since things weren't easy for us financially, I had to join this way of life. However, I was scared...scared of what she would think if I told her the truth. You could say that I was a coward."

"You were," Natsu interjected, "you took the easy way out."

"At least I kept to my beliefs of honour and respect," Igneel added. "If anyone endangered my family or messed with me, they had a bullet through the head faster than I could complete this sentence."

Natsu sighed as he took another sip. "What happened next? Obviously, she came back to you."

Igneel nodded. "Yes, a week of hell went by, and she came back to me. We talked over coffee, and since I told her that all I wanted was to keep her safe and happy, she reconsidered leaving me. I was grateful that she wanted to give me another chance, and we lived happily for the next four years. She had you, and I was so overjoyed." Then he clenched his teeth as he glared at his can of beer. "Then...when you were three...she was murdered."

Natsu widened his eyes. "How...and why?"

His father sighed again as he recalled that horrible night. "You know how this business works...in gang warfare, the rival gang wants to get to you in some kind of way." Natsu nodded, remembering the gangster movies that he used to watch growing up. "We were invited to a social gathering by friends and colleagues - nothing special, just a fancy cocktail party. Security guards were situated in and outside the building while we socialized. However, little did we know...someone snuck into the crowd without being noticed. I don't know how exactly, but they did."

"Or one of the bodyguards could have let them in," Natsu suggested.

"Perhaps," Igneel shrugged.

"What happened next?" Natsu asked eagerly.

"That person covertly slipped something into Ophelia's drink just when she was getting one. Even though I was busy talking to one of our friends, I was worried about her. She assured me that she was fine. However..." He clenched his fists over his pants. "When she drank her champagne, she told me that something tasted...off." Natsu widened his eyes again. "Then..." Igneel slowed down his speaking as his face became dark. "She collapsed in my arms. Someone called for an ambulance while we were all in shock. No one touched his or her drink in fear that it could also be poisoned. Me? I had Ophelia in my arms...just begging...pleading...for her not to leave me. However...she never woke up and her entire body was cold to the touch. Knowing that she would never wake up again...I wept angry and remorseful tears as I held her close. This was my fault...if I would have went with her..." He covered his face.

Natsu looked at his father. He could only imagine what he must have went through. His wife was murdered and he never knew about it. Sure he may have suspected it, but no one really knew that it happened until it was too late. He was not sure how he would process it or what he would do.

Then the melancholy look on Igneel's face changed to that fury. "After she was taken to the morgue, I sat there with my glass of whiskey, staring into space. So much was going through my mind - had I would have protected her better...had I would have been in a different line of business...maybe she would still be here. However, I knew one thing was for sure...someone needed to pay. I swore, that as soon as I figured out who had my wife killed, I would give them a bullet through their forehead and watch their face twist in agony as they die.

"However, a part of me was also worried about my son. What would happen if he found out, would he suffer the same fate?" He looked at Natsu. "That was why I didn't tell you about who I was. I was only protecting you. After all, what kind of father would want anything to happen to their son because of what they did?"

Natsu took a moment for it all to sink in. Almost everything made sense to him, and he did not feel any anger towards his father anymore. He sacrificed so much to ensure his well-being. He guessed it is true that a father's love knows no bounds. "You have a point," he said, "I guess I understand where you're coming from, but you know that I'm 16. I don't need your protection anymore."

Igneel nodded. "Yes, Natsu. After all, you're a man now and it's almost time for you to think about your own future. I'm not asking you to take over in my stead. This is your life, so you need to figure it out for yourself."

"Either way," Natsu added, "you still should have told me sooner...and yet, I kind of understand why you waited until now."

Igneel patted his son on the shoulder. "Thank you, Natsu."

"But I do have another question." Natsu lowered his scarf to show him the scar. "The one that made this scar...was that the reason why you sent him away?"

Igneel looked at the scar and once again, his face became dark. He remembered that horrible day when his own flesh and blood attacked his family. Why that happened? He could not understand why, but he had to do what was necessary to uphold his family's honour and protect his youngest son. "Yes," Igneel replied with a nod, "I never knew why your brother was the black sheep of the family, but I know one thing...he betrayed our family's honour by attacking you. Maybe I was giving you more attention than him, I don't know. However, I will be damned if he ever does something when he's out there."

Natsu paused for a moment, remembering that day as well. His brother, Zeref was 5 years older than he was, and there was always something off about him. He thought that Zeref was a true brother to him.

Then one day, everything changed. They started a fight - Natsu could not remember the reason - but something happened that Natsu could never forget even if he tried to. Zeref grabbed a knife, tackled his brother to the ground, and tried to stab the knife into his neck. Natsu tried to fight with every strength he could, but his brother nearly succeeded and cut his neck with the knife. He would have killed his own brother hadn't Igneel arrived to intervene. The worst thing, was that Zeref never showed any remorse; instead, he had a smug look on his face.

This was one of the reasons why Natsu wore his scarf. He did not want anyone to see the ugly scar on the side of his neck, and he did not want to be reminded of that horrible day either.

"I'm sorry," Igneel rubbed his son's back, breaking the silence. "That moment must have been traumatic for you, and I wish I would have stopped it earlier."

"It's fine," Natsu trailed off. He looked at Igneel. "After all, I'm kind of glad that Zeref gave me this scar because it will remind me of how much I want to kick his ass in for betraying our family."

Igneel chuckled. "Don't be too reckless now. You must think about your life and the people around you. Charging in without a strategy..."

"Is suicide, I know," Natsu finished off, "but still, Zeref will get what's coming to him. I don't care how I do it, but Zeref is going down either way. That I promise you."

Igneel sighed as he stood up. "I hope you know what you're getting into, son, but I want you to be careful. You know that the last thing I want to do is bury you."

Natsu smiled. "Don't worry, Dad. You worry too much. Besides, I said this before. I'm old enough to take care of myself. Besides, why do you think I've been training every night?"

Igneel nodded. "You make a good point. Speaking of taking care of yourself, how about you take care of your homework?"

Natsu nodded as he also stood up. "I'll do that. And Dad?"

"Yes, son?"

Natsu smiled. "Thanks...for everything."

Igneel chuckled again as he put his son in a headlock and gave him a noogie. "Oh you're so sentimental!"

"Hey!" Natsu laughed.

Igneel let him go and patted his shoulder. "But you're welcome. Now get out of here before I kick your ass."

Natsu laughed again. "Not if I kick it first." He smirked.

"Oh get out of here," Igneel retorted with a smirk.

Natsu chuckled as he walked out of the room, his head held up high. He did not ask his father about Gray's reaction when he introduced himself, but that will probably be a question for another day.

* * *

The next morning, Juvia, Keria and Lucy lay naked in Keria's bed, cuddled together; Keria was between both girls, sleeping happily. Juvia was the first one to wake up as she yawned and stretched on the plush mattress. She sat up and looked around her, trying to wrap her head around where she was. Then her tired mind caught up to her, and she remembered the night of passion she had with her new friends. It was interesting to say the least, and she never felt more relaxed.

She looked at the time, and her eyes opened so wide that it felt they would pop out of her head; it was almost 8:30 am. She carefully climbed out of Keria's embrace and went to get dressed. Even though they were yesterday's clothes, she did not have much of a choice. She would just have a shower and change at home.

Picking up her bag, she was almost at the door when Keria yawned. "Where are you going beautiful?" She asked in a sleepy yet euphoric tone.

"I need to go home," Juvia answered with a whisper. "Lucy and I are late for school." She looked at Lucy who was still sleeping. "Speaking of which..."

Then a man with long silver hair and an eyepatch appeared behind her. "I can drive you two to school. It won't be any problem," he said with a smile.

Juvia jumped with a yelp for she was startled and turned to face the man. "Y-you scared me!"

The man chuckled. "I apologize. My name is Gin Konton. I am a friend of Keria's."

Juvia blinked. "O-oh," then she smiled and bowed, "Nice to meet you, sir!"

"Nice to meet you too," Gin replied. Then he looked at Keria. "Keria, there are some important matters you need to attend to."

"Oh right!" Keria exclaimed as she got dressed. "I'll be back. Just have a shower and do what you do need to do."

Juvia cocked her head to the side but decided not to question it. She looked at Gin and smiled. "Thank you for the ride, sir, but I must decline. I apologize," She said with a bow.

"Fair enough," Gin replied with an understanding nod before he walked outside to his car.

Juvia looked at Lucy, who was still sleeping and shook her awake. "Lucy!"

Lucy stirred awake, "Mm?" She looked at Juvia. "Juvia...what time is it?"

"It's 8:35," Juvia said. "We're running late."

Panic showed in Lucy's eyes as she quickly jumped out of bed. She quickly grabbed her clothes and threw them on. "We're going to be late. Has Gin left already? He can give us a ride."

Juvia's eyes showed slight regret. "Oh...I told him that it's fine." She looked down. "Juvia is sorry."

Lucy smiled. "That's fine. Looks like we will find our own way to school."

A red-haired young man with a scar on his face walked in on the girls when they were talking. "Looks like you two could use some help," he said coolly. "Keria wants me to give you a ride...since you refused Gin."

"Juvia can find her own way," Juvia assured.

Lucy nodded. "Besides, there's only room for one on your bike. It's alright, Kunou. We can walk to school."

"And what about your dad?" Kunou asked.

Lucy looked down. If her father found out she was late for school, all because of having a sleepover in the middle of the week, he would be furious with her. So she had no other choice but to take the offer. She looked up at Juvia. "I hope you don't mind walking to school because I must take this offer."

Juvia nodded with an understanding smile. "That's fine." She stood up and looked at Kunou. "Thank you for letting me stay over and please tell Keria Juvia said the same." She got up and walked out of the apartment.

"Sure," Kunou replied. Then he looked at Lucy. "Well might as well get ready. I'll be waiting, so you have 5 minutes or I'm leaving without you."

Keria threw a shoe at Kunou's head. "Be nice!"

Kunou rubbed his head and sighed. "You have 5 minutes." He walked outside and toward his bike.

After getting ready, Lucy looked at Keria. "Thank you for an amazing night." She gave Keria a kiss on the lips.

"It's my pleasure," Keria replied after she returned the kiss.

"I want to ask you something."

"Sure, what is it?"

"This Friday is the Homecoming football game and dance. I'm wondering if you would like to come...as my guest," Lucy offered with a small blush on her cheeks.

Keria gave a small gasp. "You're not asking me out on a date, are you?"

Lucy's eyes widened. "Wh-what?! It's not like that. This is something between friends, and we should spend more time together, that's all!"

Keria giggled. "I'm teasing you, and it's so cute seeing you be flustered. However, I agree; we should spend time with each other more often. So Kunou and I would love to come."

"Then I will see you there." Lucy suddenly heard the bike revving up and quickly ran out. "Later Keria!" She hopped on the back of Kunou's bike and took the helmet he offered her.

"Hold on tight," Kunou warned as he drove away toward Lucy's school.

* * *

At school, Mirajane walked through the halls to get to her next class when Aiden started walking beside her. "Morning," he greeted.

Mirajane could smell the faint smell of cigarette smoke coming off him so she was not startled to say the least. "Morning," she said flatly, "you need anything?"

"I wanted to ask if you were okay," Aiden said, "also apologize for yesterday. I may have come off a bit strongly."

"It's fine," Mirajane trailed off.

"Let me make it up to you," Aiden stopped and looked at her. This was going to be awkward. "I want to take you to the Homecoming thing. Dancing isn't my style and neither are sports but...I have to be there because," his voice lowered, "the teacher from hell wants me to."

Mirajane giggled, "And why is that? Did you get in trouble in detention?"

Aiden shrugged. "Not really. She just likes to abuse her power." This remark make her laugh even more. He raised an eyebrow at her. "What's so funny?"

"It's how you said it," Mirajane answered, "I almost feel sorry for you for having to deal with her."

"Ouch," Aiden said with mock-hurt, "Can't you be a little more sorry for me?"

Mirajane laughed and Aiden smiled. Then the next thing she said surprised him. "Sure, I'd love to go with you."

Aiden blinked. No girl has ever accepted his offer; then again, he never asked them to begin with. All he wanted to do was make up how he acted to her yesterday. He did not expect her to accept even though he tried to work up the courage to do so. "You would?"

"Sure, sounds like fun," Mirajane replied with a smile. "It's a date."

Aiden's face went beet red. "Date..." He repeated.

Mirajane giggled at his face and then walked to class. "See you later."

So many thoughts were going through Aiden's mind. First of all, he could not believe that she said yes after his moment of awkwardness. It was clear to see that he was awkward, but she seemed to overlook it. Second, she thought it was a date? Aiden did not how he would feel about that. If Sarah ever saw him with her, he would never hear the end of it. Then again...Mirajane had a cute laugh and nice smile, and Sarah would be proud of him. So those are two plusses in this situation. Aiden walked to class while rubbing the back of his head. Things just got interesting.

* * *

In the second year classroom, Macao took attendance and Natsu looked over at the empty seat that Gray occupied. Where is he? Is he skipping again? Natsu sighed. He did not care anymore, especially after the things he had done. However, he seemed uneasy when it was time to go home the previous day. Was there something happening at home? Natsu could not put a finger on it.

"Natsu Dragneel!" Macao called as though he were repeating himself.

"Present!" Natsu yelped; the class laughed at his startled surprise.

"Glad to know you're awake," Macao said before he continued taking attendance.

"Please tell me you were daydreaming about a girl," Loke whispered.

Natsu made a face at the playboy. "No...I wasn't..." Loke chuckled in response.

"And I received word that Gray is in the hospital receiving surgery, so he will be absent for the rest of the week," Macao announced as he eyed the two boys.

Whispers were heard in the classroom. "Did someone finally kick his ass?" Sting whispered excitedly to Rogue, who simply shrugged in response. "He probably got into another fight like the man he is," Elfman added proudly. "Either way, good riddance," a student with long orange hair named Jet remarked. "We won't have to deal with that loser for another couple of days."

Macao glared at the students. "Quiet, students," he said and then continued taking attendance.

* * *

At the hospital, after several long hours of surgery and being unconscious in a substantial amount of pain, Gray finally woke up for the first time that day. He could not move and his muscles ached slightly as his arms, legs and torso were wrapped in gauze and plaster. However, he did not feel any pain as he was high on morphine. His mind was fuzzy as though he was not sure where he was, and he could not think.

The door opened and a man with purple hair walked in. When asked what happened, Cobra simply said that Gray was in a car accident and feigned concern for his tenant. He even paid for his surgery and acted like a father in front of the nurses so that they would not suspect anything. Gray narrowed his eyes; even in his fuzzy state, he could recognize the man that he hated so much. "Now what?" He groaned.

"Can't I visit my tenant?" Cobra asked in a sly tone as he leaned against the wall. Gray could tell that he was planning something even more devious. As though being in the hospital was not enough...

"Go away," Gray mumbled.

Cobra shook his head with a chuckle. "Do you understand the predicament that you're in?"

"I know for a fact that you put me in here," Gray trailed off as he stared at the ceiling, wishing that he would be left alone for once. The last thing he needed was this asshole bothering him.

"And I feel awful about it," the purple-haired man lied and Gray huffed. "That was why I paid for the surgery. Also, you don't have to pay me the money owed this week."

"Gee thanks," Gray said in a sarcastic tone.

"You can just pay me 2000 by the next two weeks," Cobra said with an evil smirk.

Even in his fuzzy state, Gray widened his eyes. How could Cobra _do_ this to him?! Was he _trying_ to make his life a living hell?! His muscles started to ache even more when they tensed. "You...can't be serious."

Cobra laughed at his tenant's reaction. "You think I'm joking?" Then he went serious. "This is what happens when you try to steal my money, Fullbuster."

"I...didn't," Gray said flatly.

"The evidence went against you," Cobra accused. "Remember, it was in your room."

"Someone put it there!" The raven protested as he tried to get up but his ribs gave out on him and he hissed as he lay back down.

"Always the lying type," Cobra shook his head, "in any case, you know that no one will take you seriously no matter what." Then he smirked again. "But don't worry, you won't have to give me the full amount."

"Cut...the...bull...shit," Gray said slowly, wincing in pain.

Cobra ignored him, "After all, I could take your entire well-fare pay check that you're receiving next week. That is $300 right?"

"Fuck you," Gray cursed. What was he was supposed to do for food? Starve?

Cobra turned on his heel and walked out the door. "Good luck getting the money, Gray, and remember you can't take it from stealing. Let this be a lesson to you."

"FUCK YOU!" Gray shouted as he tried to move but once again, his ribs cracked and he yelped in pain.

Hearing him, a nurse ran to where Cobra was and glared at him. "Are you doing anything to harm the patient in there?"

"Absolutely not," Cobra said innocently. "After all, I was only trying to check up on him. I do love him like the son like I never had. Just carry on." He walked out of the hospital, and the nurse ran into Gray's room to calm him down.

* * *

Nothing special happened in the next couple of days. However, when Juvia found out Gray was in the hospital, she was not sure about whether to do something nice for him or leave him be. After all, he did refuse her lunch in an unpleasant way. Still, she could not help but worry about him. She needed advice.

The next morning, after history class, Kagari called her over since she was daydreaming in class. Thinking that she might have been in trouble, she walked toward him. "Yes, sensei?" She asked.

"Something seems to be troubling you," Kagari stated. "You were daydreaming in class. Did you have a good sleep last night?"

Juvia smiled cheerfully. "No sir! It's just that Juvia had something on her mind, that's all."

"May I ask what?" He asked curiously with concern in his eyes.

Juvia frowned. "It's Gray-sama. Juvia wants to do something nice for him, but he was mean to Juvia earlier in the week. Juvia doesn't know what to do."

Kagari nodded. "I see, this usually means that in your heart, you want to forgive him. Right now, he's resting in the hospital because we were told it's a car accident. Here's what I suggest: after school, go to a gift shore and find something nice for him...or make him something."

"What if he doesn't accept it?" Juvia asked.

"That's his problem," Kagari answered. "After all, all what you want to do is help him and he needs to understand that. Besides, you never know unless you try, right?"

Juvia nodded at his wisdom. "You might be right, sensei."

Kagari smiled. "Good girl. Now run along to your next class."

"Okay!" Juvia said as she walked out of her class.

Kagari rubbed the back of his head as he also left the classroom. How he pined to be young again. Then again, with all his volunteer work, he never really had time to settle down. Maybe this homecoming event, that would change. He always had a thing for the gym teacher, but she does not share his feelings. Perhaps he should take his own advice. When Aquarius walked passed him, heading for gym class, all he could do was stare. Her long blue hair trailing behind her like a bride's veil, meeting just at her slender hips. Sometimes he scared her, but that was just something to overlook. He liked her feisty attitude, her strength, even...when she had one, her sense of humour.

There was one time he saw her in the teacher's lounge and one of the teacher's cracked a joke. Her laugh was like a song that made him smile, and the way her face looked, it was so cute and almost hard to believe that she was strict most of the time. This showed that there was more that met the eye.

However, this was all wishful thinking. How can a middle-aged man who's in his late-thirties find a woman like that? She might already have a man of her own. Still, he deserved happiness. With a sigh, Kagari walked to the teacher's lounge to mark the papers he was carrying. The students did have a test that day, and if he wanted to give their marks back to them the next day, this would be the best time to do so.

* * *

Kaneko yawned as she walked down the hallway. This was the first day in the year she started attending choir, but why did it have to be at 7:30 am? She was not a morning person, never was. However, she enjoyed choir and singing. Music was her life. After all, her brother was her mentor and was the reason why she was so knowledgeable in the subject. In fact, he was in a band of his own and had made albums. She wished she was in that life.

When she passed by the poster for Homecoming, she rolled her eyes. All it involved were football and social gatherings, which were not her things. However, when her eyes looked at the dance part, her attitude changed. Now that is interesting. A smile appeared on her face. Maybe she can go after all.

Levy noticed her looking at the poster. "Are you interested in going, Kaneko-Senpai?"

Kaneko was startled a bit so she jumped a bit with a squeal. Then she sharply turned around and rubbed the back of her head, blushing with embarrassment. "Oh Levy-chan! I didn't see you there."

Levy giggled. "You startle easily, don't you?"

Kaneko lowered her hand and took a deep breath. Yes, she was very jumpy…had always been. She did not know why that was the case, but maybe it had something to do with the fact she daydreamed a lot. "Yeah," she replied.

The blue-hair nodded in understanding. Sure, it wasn't so bad, but sometimes she wondered if the poor girl could get a heart attack one of these days. "Fair enough," she said with a giggle. Now it was time to change the subject. "Choir was fun, wasn't it?"

The ravenette nodded with a smile. "Yes it was. I've got a good feeling about this year."

"So do I!" Levy chirped in excitement. "I mean the trip! That's going to be amazing!"

There was talk about a trip to Toronto, Canada that was happening around Christmastime. Since Canada was on the other side of the world, the trip was going to be expensive. However, there were many events planned that would raise funds for this trip, and Kaneko was determined to help however she could. After all, she had been to Toronto many times before, having relatives that lived near there.

Wanting to change the subject again, Levy asked, "So are you planning on going to Homecoming?"

"Well," her senior looked at the poster, "Maybe just for the dance part. Not really a football fan...or any sport for that matter." _Okay, maybe some sports,_ she countered in her mind, _but only if I play them._

"Not one for sports either," the short girl agreed, "but you should come for the whole thing. I mean, you never know when the dance would start, and you might be surprised, you know?"

 _What did she mean by that?_ Kaneko thought to herself as she pondered any possible choice that could be relevant. Could the choir be performing? Maybe a celebrity? Or a man? No way! She blushed at the last thought. Relationships were never in her forte. Even if she had a crush on someone, they would never feel the same. That thought just irked her. Without even looking at her colleague, she just answered through her teeth, "Y-yeah...I guess."

Levy blinked. Was it something she said? She decided to push it to the back of her mind. It was probably not important anyway. "Well...I'll see you around! I've got to run to class. Take care, Kaneko-senpai!" She quickly walked toward class.

Kaneko just sighed as she watched her. She wasn't all that social, and even though she liked dances, she was still more of a loner than anything else. Turning on her heel, she walked toward her class. It was not easy being a wallflower, but she did not mind being alone. No one really seemed to understand her intentions, but she had always been a quiet person, not wanting to talk unless they talked to her. She may have liked a little bit of attention, as long as it was positive attention, but she did not care whether or not she would receive it.

As she was walking, she thought about what Levy said. It probably confused her a little bit, but it left her very curious. Maybe she could go to this thing to see what surprises lie in wake. However, if it's something she wouldn't like, then she would leave.

However, her daydreaming led her to accidentally bump into someone. "Ugh!" She grunted as she dropped her books. "Damn it!"

"Watch where you're going, retard girl!" Laxus snapped as he shoved her to the side.

Kaneko yelped as she was shoved. Then, as she heard the things he said, her eyes snapped open. She stood up slowly. "What...did you call me?"

"I called you a retard," Laxus looked at her. "Look it up if you don't know what-"

How she _hated_ that word! She always had her fair share of bullying throughout the years in her youth, and she had enough. "Well excuse me for not looking...prick. Oh, and since I already _know_ what the word means, HOW ABOUT THIS?!" Kaneko kicked him hard in the balls.

"AHHH!" Laxus screamed as he was kicked. The impact made him stagger back a little bit. Then, as he was staggering, he was met with an elbow in the face that sent him to the ground. He yelled once again as he covered his bleeding nose.

Kaneko blinked as she watched. She was not the one who elbowed him. So who did it? She looked at the person who attacked him. It was a boy with black and red hair wearing a dark red shirt and red jeans held up with a white belt. A silver necklace glistened around his neck from behind a medium-sized black jacket. The front of the jacket had two colours – one side being red, the other being checkered black and white. Who could he be? She never had seen him around before, so he must have been new.

"Not really nice to be rude to a beautiful lady," The boy spoke.

Laxus looked at the boy as well as he nursed his broken nose. "Who are you supposed to be?"

The boy stepped onto Laxus's back so he would not give up. "My name is Riku Uchiha," he put his hands into his pockets, "and I'm here to see what kind of school I'm going to be attending."

* * *

 **And that's that! Also, a little fun fact about Natsu's mother's name. I named her after Ophelia from Shakespeare's Hamlet, which is my favourite one of his plays. Let me know what you think! I know it's a little...long, but that's what these chapters are going to be.**

 **Until next time, see ya!**


	6. New Students

**Hey everyone! Here's the next chapter finally! Read and let me know what you think!**

 **I'd like to thank HarbingerofFire for helping me write this, and I don't own anything but the storyline and Kaneko!**

* * *

 **Chapter 5: New Students**

Laxus looked up from his spot on the ground. This was so humiliating, being under the leg of some punk he did not know. Did he even go to this school? He was probably some exchange student because he had not seen this kid before. "Just another loser," he rolled his eyes, "Oh fun…"

Riku looked down at Laxus and stepped harder on his back, making him grunt in pain. "Losers are the ones who are on the ground. You're on the ground so I'd say you're a bigger loser." He kicked the older student in the face, earning a yell from him. "Now shut up and run along, little baby, before you get a pole stuck up your ass."

Now, at around the same time this beating was taking place, a small crowd was gathering to see what was happening. They all looked to see who was getting their ass kicked, and shock was on their faces when they looked at Laxus.

Natsu, who was in the crowd, just said nothing as he watched. Who was that guy? Why was he here? A part of him felt good to see the very man that shook his inner being getting beaten up. However, he was not sure what to make of this new person.

"Oh shit, Laxus got his ass kicked…by a _real man_!" Elfman exclaimed. He was starting to like this new guy, but at the same time, he would not want to mess with him.

A student with wild blue hair, green eyes, and a tattoo on his forehead grinned in excitement. This was Bixlow, a friend of Laxus's. "It's ON, baby!" He yelled.

"Laxus…"A green-haired guy beside him spoke out of concern. This was Freed, and he and Bixlow were roommates.

However, not everyone was happy seeing the new guy in front of them, especially Sting and Rogue. "Just when we're free from that stupid delinquent…we have another?" He groaned as he glared at Riku.

"Damn it," Rogue cursed.

Natsu glared at Sting. The last thing he needed was to deal with him. With one more look at Riku, he turned around and walked away. There were many things on his mind, like the talk he had with his father the day before, and he just wanted to be alone.

Laxus got up and covered his bleeding nose. He could not believe he was humiliated by this jerk! He hoped to any higher power above that something horrible happens to this person soon. Until then, he just wanted to get away and tend to his wounds. Using the wall to prop himself up, he started to head toward the nurse's office, but turned to face the group. "You're all idiots," he growled.

Knowing that he did not want to be lumped in with the rest of them, Freed decided to help him without looking at Riku. He hoped that he would not become a student because if he did, then things would become worse.

Riku looked at them and shook his head. "Such a reject," he muttered under his breath. Then he glared at the crowd that was gathering. Through his cold glare, everyone started to feel uncomfortable as a cold chill ran down their spine. Who was this guy and how could he be so mean? "You want something, kiddies?" He asked, his voice threatening. They all looked around and kept quiet, not wanting to answer or look at the guy.

Suddenly, a teacher walked up. His hair was two colours – white on the left side and black on the left – and was held up with a rubber band. A black mark crossed his face, over the bridge of his nose. He wore a red robe-top with gray, mesh cuffs at his wrists, and his hakama pants were black. This was the third-year math teacher, Totomaru. "Alright people, get to class!"

Not wanting to get into trouble, the crowd scattered as students went to their respective classrooms. Kaneko did not say anything as she walked passed Riku. She will just thank him later, but right now, the teacher will deal with him.

As they were walking passed, Totomaru noticed Riku in front of him. "So you must be the new guy, huh?" He asked.

That was a half truth. Yes, Riku was new, but he wasn't really an official student yet. He looked at the teacher and answered, "Yeah I am."

Totomaru could ask Riku where he needed to go, but he had a class to teach. Besides, he was sure the young man could find his own way around. It wasn't a difficult school to navigate after all. "Alright well," he said, "good luck finding your way around this place." He walked into his classroom to the start the class.

Riku nodded as he walked away with his hands in his pockets. He didn't really need the teacher's help…or anyone's help in particular. Being new was a big step, but he could adapt well. However, he did not care about making new friends…at least not now. There was one person he wanted to find first.

He walked passed a certain point, but he heard a voice speak from beside him. "Uchiha huh?" He looked to his left and noticed Natsu leaning against the wall. So much for being alone… "I've heard of that name…a family known for being police and military-trained. However, instead, they have a bad reputation for being hit men and yakuza gang leaders. It's sad really…"

The last thing Riku wanted to hear was someone acting like they know his family. If that was what this kid wanted to do, then he will have to deal with him. But how? He could abduct him so he can slit his throat and throw him behind a dumpster before he can carry out his life. However, that was the last thing he needed. He just cracked his neck. "Is there a reason why you're talking to me, Pinky?"

Natsu smirked. "How rude of me," he answered, "The name is Natsu Dragneel."

This did not faze Riku in the slightest, which did not surprise the pink-hair. "Does that supposed to mean something? No? Figured as much…so do yourself a favour and close your lips for your own sake."

Natsu just frowned as he ignored the threat. "I'm scared. Then again, this is nothing new." _Considering what I have to deal with regarding him…_ , he thought to himself as he thought about Zeref. "It apparently means a great deal in this town," he continued as he turned around, "you might want to rethink that…" He started to walk away so he can leave the other boy alone.

"Yeah…that doesn't scare m-," Then Riku stopped. Did this guy just say Dragneel before? He remembered there was someone he knew with the last name Dragneel, and person immediately made his way into his thoughts. "Wait Dragneel…Zeref Dragneel…" His eyes widened a bit at the name.

Natsu froze mid-step. So this guy knows his older brother?! Blood froze in his veins as he tensed at the name. He turned around sharply, showing Riku the wrath in his black eyes as his brows furled. "How did you know about Zeref?!"

"Like you said about the Uchiha's," Riku explained, "He did work with them."

So that was where he was all this time. He ghosted his fingers over his scar as his body shook. Did Zeref send this guy to finish the job? He did not know what to do. His father never taught him how to fight, and if he ran, he would bring shame on his family name. Dragneels don't run, but what if they can't fight?!

"He mentioned having a brother," Riku went on, "So you're the one he didn't get to kill."

Natsu's face went dark as he clenched his fists. When is Riku going to strike him down?! Get it over with! "Not if I don't kill him first," he trailed off, "I will get to the bottom…of why he turned a 180 on me."

"Because he hates you, that's reason enough," Riku answered as he stepped toward Natsu.

 _Here he comes,_ he thought as he prepared for the worst. However, when Riku got close enough, he whispered in the other's ear: "And boy, how he wants to shove a knife in that scar of yours and make it deeper. All for the sake of killing you." He smirked as he walked away.

Natsu's body shook as his eyes widened. Why didn't he go _through_ with it?! He could feel his resolve shatter into a million pieces as he just stood there, not moving from his spot. It was like a viper was wrapping around him, squeezing the air from his lungs, as it watched him suffer. So many emotions were running through his mind. Was it anger? Was it betrayal? Was it sadness? Was it fear? He could not tell what was stronger nor did he care. All he knew was that he wanted to scream his lungs out. _Zeref…you traitor! I looked up to you as a big brother! How could you betray me?!_

His body finally moved on his own as he punched the wall, letting out an angry scream that filled the hallway. This scream was loud enough to be heard by the third years, who were in the middle of an algebra lecture.

Cana looked outside the classroom. "Who's that screaming?" She asked.

Erza twitched. "If that's who I think it is…"

Aiden looked up. "Hm? Sounds like…Natsu." The name was enough to give Erza a scary face. _Oh great,_ Aiden thought as he looked her, _the bitch is going to be a bitch._

Mira rolled her eyes in annoyance. She did not want some rich boy disturbing her when she was trying to learn. "Someone should deal with him. He's acting like a child."

Totomaru just sighed as he put his book down. If anyone were to solve this problem, it would be him. However, he could not leave his class without anything to do. He picked up a chalk and started writing on the board. "I'm going to deal with this. While I'm gone, you will be doing these algebra equations based off the material we learned."

When Mira looked at the problems, she noticed that they were…quite complex. "Oh come on!" She groaned. Why did algebra have to be so annoying?!

Once Totomaru put the chalk back, he looked at the class once more. "I'll be right back. No moaning and groaning, so have some fun!" He smirked and walked out of the classroom as the students started working on solving the equations.

Being so good at Math, Aiden seemed to not have any problem solving the problems written while Kaneko struggled. Once she wrote down the questions, she looked at them. _Ugh, I_ hate _Math,_ she thought to herself as she started to answer them to the best of her ability.

Aiden glanced over at her paper and mumbled, "That's wrong." He looked back at his paper and went back to work.

Hearing his mumbles, the ravenette looked back at the red-hair. "What?" She whispered before looking at her answer. She did not like hearing that she was wrong as this frustrated her, so she rubbed out her answer and cursed under her breath.

While his students were working, Totomaru walked toward Natsu. He was clenching his teeth as he leaned against the wall, his forehead touching the plaster and his eyebrows remained furled. "Shouldn't you be in class, Dragneel?" The teacher spoke.

The last thing he wanted was someone to bother him. However, yesterday was painful enough, and he did not want another detention. Before he said anything out of anger, he held his tongue and took a deep breath as he straightened himself. "Yeah…I'll go to class."

"Or maybe you want to see a counsellor," Totomaru suggested.

"I'm fine, don't worry," Natsu answered as he walked away.

The older man just rubbed his forehead. "Boys and their issues," he muttered as he walked back to class. Whatever was going through that boy's head, he will deal with it on his own.

When Natsu entered class, there was a history lecture about Edo Japan happening and the clock read 8:53 – that was 23 minutes after the time class had started. Kagari noticed him walking in and spoke, "You're late, Dragneel."

"Yeah yeah," Natsu replied as he walked to his seat. His arm was shaking a little as he was still feeling unsettled from his encounter with Riku earlier.

Lucy looked at Natsu and whispered, "Natsu…are you…alright?"

Hearing her whispers, Natsu looked at her and mouthed, "I'll be fine…" His friend continued to stare in concern before looking back at Kagari. Maybe it wasn't really her business to ask, and if he's ready, then he can talk to her. Also, it wasn't the right time to talk about this…for obvious reasons.

Kagari noticed Riku walking in through the back door. "Oh, before we continue, we have a visitor that's just walking in to our class." The class turned around to see him sit in the back. "He will possibly be joining on Monday," The teacher went on. He looked down at the memo that he had received. "This is Riku Uchiha."

Natsu glared in front of him when he heard the name. Why must _the jerk_ be a student at this school? This year is going to be hell.

"So please give him a warm welcome and make him feel like home," Kagari requested, "even though he's not officially a student yet. So with that said, let's continue our lesson." He turned around to face the board. "Lucy, feel free to share your notes with Natsu, but try to keep up."

Lucy nodded, "Hai, Kagari-sensei."

As the lecture went on, Natsu looked at Lucy's notes and wrote them down. However, he did not pay attention to the history teacher's lecture. Riku and Gray seemed to be so similar. He wondered what would happen if the two would meet and then shuddered at the thought. It was bad enough having one or the other at the school, and if both were to appear at the same time, it would be even worse. Say that he's exaggerating, but not even the nine realms of hell could compare to the two of them.

As Lucy was sharing her notes with Natsu, Riku looked at her. Her soft blue eyes were mesmerizing even if strands of gold were covering them. _Such a beautiful lady_ , he thought to himself. However, there was no way she could notice him the same way he noticed her. Knowing this disappointing fact, he just looked away and studied the board. Should he write some notes down? He didn't feel any need to do that. Besides, he already knew the material. He leaned back on his chair and relaxed as he waited for class to finish.

After first period ended, Natsu sighed in relief as he left the classroom. Loke stood up and watched his friend leave. "I wonder why Natsu's feeling so blue."

Levy stood up as well and looked at him. "We should do something nice for him. Is he coming to Homecoming?"

Loke did not know if Natsu was coming or not. If he was, then this might be a good thing for him to unwind and relax after the stressful first week of school. If he wasn't, then he thought of something that might change his mind. He grinned as a devious plot came up – a plot that involved a bag, rope, and a car.

However, Lucy knew the ginger so well. She glared at him, "No…kidnapping."

"How did you even know?!" Loke protested. Riku smacked him upside the head as he walked passed him and out of the classroom. "Ow!" the playboy yelled as he rubbed his head.

"Trust me, you always resort to kidnapping when it comes to certain events, and Natsu is always the victim," Lucy pointed out. The last time this happened was when the group of friends were going to year-end festival a few months ago in December. Natsu had no interest in going, so Loke snuck in the house and bagged him before dragging him out. He got a vicious beating from Igneel's men shortly afterwards, for they thought he was an intruder. To make up for his friend's shortcoming, Natsu decided to change his mind and go to the festival on his own terms.

Lucy looked at Juvia who was gathering her books. "Are you coming to homecoming, Juvia?"

Juvia looked at her. "Homecoming?" She repeated.

"Yeah," Lucy replied.

Juvia looked down. Events like that weren't really her thing. Normally, Fridays were days when she would just relax after a long week at school. Also, those events get really crowded too. "I don't know," she trailed off.

Before Lucy said anything else, she and Juvia heard a very familiar voice calling their name. There was only one person who had that voice.

"KERIA!" Lucy squealed as she ran to the aforementioned girl. Keria ran toward Lucy and hugged her before kissing her. Then she moved on to Juvia and did the same thing. The guys that noticed them looked in amazement, even Loke.

"Babes kissing…" He marvelled as sparkles started to appear all around him. "I'm in heaven! Let me join, girls!" "

Keria stopped kissing Juvia and turned to face Loke. "HIYA!" She screamed as she kicked him hard in the groin.

Loke yelled as he keeled over in pain. "Even in pain…I'm in heaven," he spoke in a really high voice.

Natsu froze and looked at Keria. Just when things couldn't get any worse, _she_ had to show up. He rushed away quickly before she could notice him, not wanting to get caught up in anything she might be planning. "Nope! Nope! Nope!"

As Natsu ran, he was suddenly tripped by a smirking Kunou. "Oops…sorry Natsu."

"Fuck you, Kunou…" Natsu grumbled.

This made Keria notice the pink-hair right away. "HI NATSU!" She waved.

This is the time when Natsu knew he needed to get away, especially while his manhood was intact. Realizing that there was no time to stand up, he quickly crawled away. "Craaaap! Kunou, you bastard! You will pay dearly for this!"

However, he did not see that Erza was in front of him and there was a horrific aura that was emanating from her. "Naaaatsuuu…" Not wanting to deal with her, he crawled away from Erza.

Kunou noticed his childhood friend trying to get away and then looked at the red-head girl. "Who's the crazy-looking bitch?" This earned him a death glare.

Keria, of course, had other thoughts. She stared at Erza from her scarlet hair, to her stern and rosy lips, to her bust, to her hips and finally her slender legs underneath her short skirt. She licked her lips flirtatiously as she eyed the student council president's figure with interest. "Hello beautiful." She looked at Lucy, who was tense at the presence of the older girl, "Someone else to join in on our fun. Who is she?"

"That's…the president of the student council," She answered, worried about what the red-head would do.

"I have a name," Erza said coolly. She walked up to Natsu and picked him up by his hair before he could crawl away any further. "You have something to say…?

Natsu could no longer move. He was face-to-face with the girl he had been afraid of since middle school, and to make matters worse, she had a hold of his hair. This was really starting to hurt. He couldn't get away, no matter how hard he tried. "Someone HELP!"

Sure enough, Mirajane walked up. "Seriously, Erza, your ways of picking up men? It's so weird." Natsu was deep thought for a moment. This might be his getaway, If only there was a way to get Erza to let go of his hair.

Erza glared at her rival. "Is that SUPPOSED to be an insult?!"

"Wanna try, HUH?!" Mira challenged as she walked toward her classmate.

Keria smirked. "Ooo, girls who need to bond closer together." She looked at Kunou and Natsu. "I wonder."

By her smirk, the two of them could tell what she was thinking. There was no way in _hell_ they were going to be trapped, especially not Kunou. "Oh no, you're not going to tie me or even Natsu up so that we will fall victim to yours…or that crazy bitch's abuse." He looked at Erza, then at Natsu who was pleading for help. Understanding the pinkette's pleas, he walked toward the girl and grabbed her wrist. "Let him go," he ordered.

Erza just simply let Natsu go and then glared back at Mira. "Swamp creature!"

By this point, the girls were at each other's faces. "Ugly bitch!" Mira shot back.

"Dirty skank!" Erza insulted.

"Fat Whore!" Mira retaliated.

Since the girls were distracted with other, Kunou helped Natsu up and ran off with him. "Let's go before Keria has every woman in this entire school take advantage of us."

"Right," Natsu answered."

The girls continue to fire insults at each other, oblivious to the fact that there was a crowd of guys growing to watch the shouting match of the week, hoping that it would break out into a physical fight. Some guys were even starting to cheer, even though it was a little early to do so. Elfman was no exception. "Start fighting like men!"

In unison, Mira and Erza glared at Elfman. "SHUT UP, ELFMAN!" Then they went back to their insult match.

Keria continued to stare at the girls and then looked back at Lucy, "Should I go introduce myself to them?"

Lucy looked back at her friend with benefits, and then looked back at the fight. "Uhh…when they're like this? It's better to walk away…"

Keria smiled with glee. She was beginning to like this school already. "A challenge! I'm going in, and then stay right…here." She groped Lucy's butt, earning a shriek from her, before skipping toward the third-year girls.

Sure enough, they grew tired of insulting each other and started to wrestle each other to the ground. Mira had tackled Erza to the ground and is now on top of her. "You're MINE!" She screamed.

"NO! You're MINE!" Erza shot back as she pulled the other girl's hair, making her cry in pain.

Mira growled. "You'll PAY for that bitch!" She started to punch the other girl repeatedly. Erza continued to defend herself as she tried to shake the other girl off her.

Juvia was starting to get uncomfortable. Sure enough, someone was going to get hurt. This was not going to happen, especially when she was around to witness this. She immediately rushed away to get a teacher's attention, hoping that this fight would end soon.

The guys just continued to cheer as the girls continued to fight. Erza and Mira were rolling on the ground, unleashing as many hits on each other as they could while trying to shake the other off.

Keria, however, had other plans. While Erza was wailing on Mira, the other red-head immediately smacked her butt. This made the Scarlet scream with surprise. Taking advantage of the situation, Mira immediately rolled Erza back onto his back and started to punch her repeatedly, laughing victoriously. However, this was just an invitation for Keria to do the same thing to her, which made her scream in surprise. Keria giggled as she was having fun. "Such nice asses and so easy to take advantage of this situation!"

Lucy face-palmed; this was really getting to be embarrassing for them both. However, she knew that Keria wanted to have her own enjoyment so she could not blame the girl. Also, this was making the guys even more excited. Why are people idiot sometimes?

Aiden walked up and noticed the crowd. More fighting? Who could be fighting this time? Then he looked at Mira, and he got his answer. Of course… He just could not wait until the day was over.

Hearing the shouting going on, Kagari walked up to the crowd. "Alright! Alright! Break it up!" He looked at the ones who started this excitement in the first place. "Scarlet! Strauss! Enough fighting this minute!"

Both girls looked at him and were about to break away, when Loke shouted, "Hey Kagari-sensei! Aquarius at 12 o'clock!"

Kagari narrowed his eyes, "Very funny, Loke."

"I am not joking, sir! Look!" Loke exclaimed as he continued to point.

Kagari turned around and there, behind him, Aquarius was walking up with Juvia behind her. Everyone immediately froze and went quiet while trying to avert the teacher's gaze. "Go to class, Juvia." The bluenette nodded and walked to her next class. The teacher glared back at the girls, who were also scared stiff. Mira was even sweating bullets. "THAT'S ENOUGH, GIRLS!" She shouted.

Keria gasped as she looked at the female teacher. "A hot teacher!' She exclaimed.

Without looking at the gym teacher, Lucy whispered toward Keria, "Don't…look at her…in the eye…"

Keria looked at her friend. "Why not?"

Hearing the two talk behind her back, Aquarius turned toward the second-year girls. "Is there anything you want to say, girls?" She asked in a threatening tone.

Lucy shook her head frantically. "N-no, ma'am!"

Keria just smiled. "What are you doing for dinner later?" Aquarius just raised an eyebrow. Kagari looked dumbfounded. Did a student…just ask Aquarius…for dinner?

"Keria!" The blonde exclaimed, terrified that her friend may already have gotten in trouble before even enrolling into the school. The red-head just giggled in response.

"Hmph!" Aquarius looked at Mira, Erza and Lucy, "Since we need a cheerleading squad at Homecoming, you two will get off as a warning."

Then a light bulb immediately went off in Lucy's brain. She _knew_ she forgot something. Practice was this morning, and she had clearly been distracted – one of her distractions was beside her. "Oh no! I forgot about practice!"

Aquarius ignored Lucy's outburst and glared at Mira and Erza, "But fight again and I will make your lives hell just like I did with your boyfriend," she pointed toward Erza, "and HIM!" She pointed toward Aiden, who now looked like a deer caught in headlights. He just wanted to disappear, especially with eyes straight on him.

"It wasn't really hell…just annoying…" He said. He could feel himself being buried into a deep, deep hole. That was probably better than this.

"Y-yes ma'am!" Erza and Mira stammered in unison.

Aquarius turned around to face the crowd. "Now, ALL OF YOU! Get to class before you're in detention. MOVE IT!"

Without another word, everyone immediately shuffled off to their lockers. Kagari looked around, impressed by his co-workers actions. Aquarius glared at him. "Don't you have paperwork or _any_ sort of work to attend to...Mr. Ichinose?"

Kagari immediately jumped at the sound of her voice." Me?!" It felt like the first time she had truly spoken to him. He did not know how to respond, but he knew he had to respond quickly when he looked into her impatient gaze. "Uh, yeah! I'm going to get coffee! Coffee!" He quickly scrambled toward the teacher's lounge, chastising himself for being an idiot.

Aquarius just shook her head and walked away, muttering to herself for working with such a strange man. She walked away to get ready for her next class, which is first-year gym. At least the first-years were more civilized than the second or third-years combined.

Lucy looked at Keria, who whistled as she stared at the teacher's back-side. "Come on, Keria! I'll show you around "

Keria looked back at Lucy and grabbed her arm with a smile. "Sure!"

As the two walked, Lucy was in thought for a moment. She had asked Keria if she could transfer to Fairy Tail High School so that they would be closer together. Since she wanted Kunou to be there as well, the other was not sure about it. To break the silence, Lucy knew she had to say what she needed to say. "So this is a surprise seeing you here, Keria. I'm guessing you and Kunou finally decided to transfer."

"Well after some convincing, yes," Keria replied. Her eyes widened a little. "Oh!" She interjected, "And there's one other surprise."

"Oh?" This was going to be interesting.

Keria motioned Lucy to look ahead. There, coming out of the principal's office, was Gin. "Yes sir, I understand. I will be ready to work next Monday." It was obvious that he was talking to Makarov. The silver-hair looked at the girls and noticed Lucy. "Ah! Lucy!"

Lucy could feel her eyes nearly popping out of their sockets as she widened them. What was _he_ doing here?! "GIN?!" She shrieked in shock.

"Say hello to the new teacher for second and third-year classes!" Keria exclaimed and Gin smiled in response.

This was not what Lucy was expecting. After a couple of teachers had resigned due to personal reasons, she had a feeling that the school was short-staffed. However, she was not expecting _Gin_ of all people to work as a teacher. Sure he might be young enough to be a college student, but he's smart and mature enough to work as an adult. So the blonde should have seen this coming. However, that did not mean that she wouldn't be at a loss for words. "Wow! I…what class are you teaching?"

"A couple actually," Gin answered, "But one of the main ones is Sexual Education as well. Makarov felt Aquarius might be a bit too…well…you know how she is."

Lucy shivered. Aquarius being a Sexual Education teacher is a scary thought. "No kidding…she's more suited for PE."

Gin nodded. "Mhm. Well you two, don't mess around too much." He chuckled. "Take care, Lucy." He patted her head and then walked away.

For a moment, Lucy froze. She knew she had another question somewhere, and it just came to her. "Wait Gin!" The man stopped and looked back at her. "What's the other class?"

"Two others actually," Gin answered, "Computers and Science. There are going to be others for different years of course. I'm second-year science and third-year computer class.

"Ah I see," Lucy nodded in understanding, "Well see you on Monday."

Gin nodded. "Be prepared…and don't be making out with Keria too much." He gave an amused smirked as he walked off.

"I won't," Lucy replied. She grabbed Keria's hand and looked at her, "Let's go to the next class together if you're going to be a new student here. Come on!" She walked toward her locker.

"Sure!" Keria replied as she walked with her. This was going to be a very happy year for both of them.

Elsewhere at school, Natsu and Kunou were hiding in the cafeteria. Since this was the furthest room to hide in, they decided to hide here until the girls would eventually give up. Also, lunch was around the corner anyway – blame Natsu for that one. "Did we lose her?" The aforementioned second-year asked.

"Yeah, I think so," his companion answered, "She's probably busy with Lucy."

Natsu just rolled his eyes. Same old Keria…they would might as well get married to each other for all that matters.

Kunou immediately punched Natsu. "Hey! Don't be rude about my sister. She has her problems but she loves Lucy, so be nice!"

Even though he was punched, the pinkette's mind was already full with his talk with his father and his intense encounter with Riku. How could he let the Uchiha get under his skin like that? All he could think of was that traumatic moment where Zeref had a cold knife to his neck, a sinister grin spread across his face. Natsu's arm began to shake as these thoughts were giving him stress.

Noticing this, Kunou asked, "By the way, what's wrong with your arm?"

Realizing that his friend had noticed it, Natsu took deep breaths to calm himself down. "Nothing...just a rough morning." He did not want to talk about it...at least not now.

"You sure?" Kunou asked, showing even more concern now. He was confused as to why Natsu wouldn't tell him these things. They used to talk about everything under the sun. Something must be truly bothering him, if he were to act like this.

Natsu just nodded. "Yeah, I'll be okay. It's just...people love to piss me off. I'd rather move on from it."

That was a fair enough reason. "Alright, well I'm just for you, Natsu. Remember that." He ruffled the pinkette's hair. Then he remembered something. "Oh! By the way, there's another surprise."

Natsu looked at him, eyes widened slightly. "Oh? What's the surprise?"

"Well Keria and I are going to this school here and," Kunou paused for a moment, "You're getting a new teacher." He did not hear footsteps coming up to the cafeteria.

However, this was surely a surprise, especially for the younger man. He stood up, eyes widened. "Really?! Who's the new teacher?!" It could be anyone. He was aware that the school was short-staffed, and he hoped that this teacher would be fair and friendly.

Kunou also stood up. "It's wel-" Sure enough, there was someone standing behind Natsu, and this was making the red-head tense.

"There's someone behind me, isn't there?" Natsu asked and Kunou just nodded. When the pinkette turned around, his eyes widened in surprise. Sure enough, Gin was behind him, and there was a very stern look on his face.

"Hi there," Gin greeted as he glared at the two, "You two should be in class...well more Natsu than Kunou."

Now it was Natsu's turn to tense. Could this be the new teacher? Gin? Of all people? He was pretty young to be a teacher. Then again, he had always been highly intelligent. He had to think of something fast. "Uhhh yeah...we're...checking out the new menu for the cafeteria." He quickly grabbed the menu that was beside him and looked at it. "Tacos. Yum. All the hot sauce!" Now he was craving tacos. Tacos were delicious, especially with added hot peppers and sauce. Maybe he can have some for lunch? However, he needed to get away before he could get into trouble. He ran passed Gin and through the doors, hoping to get away. This made Gin laugh a bit.

Amused by his friend's antics, Kunou chuckled and walked out. "Later Gin," He waved.

"Take care, Kunou," his friend and caretaker responded as he too walked out. This was going to be an interesting school year for both of them, and Gin couldn't wait to begin his classes.

* * *

In the hospital, Gray lay in bed. His body still ached all over as he tried to relax. He grunted as he pumped morphine into his system to numb the pain. This was agonizing. When will this pain end? However, that was the least of his worries.

The bane of his worries was Cobra and what he had said. "1700 in 2 weeks," he trailed off. How was he supposed to get that much money in such a short period of time without stealing? He cannot get a job, especially with his record. He was just stuck...with nowhere to go and seemingly no way of moving.

Wincing despite the morphine in his system, he turned around to see the glass angel on his bedside table. "Mom...what do I do?" He asked, thinking that his mom was somehow embodying that angel as he reached to grab it. Once more, he winced in pain. He hoped that the morphine would take affect soon. However, his thoughts were still locked onto Cobra's threat. "Is it enough? Or is it my only option?" Sure enough, selling the angel was his only option at this point. However, that would mean letting go of his most prized possession...and the only reminder that his mom was still with him. "What would you do, Mom?" He silently asked as he kissed the angel, hoping for an answer.

However, he never got one...especially since he was talking to an inanimate object. He grasped his necklace, realizing that he might have to sell them both. "Dad..."

Would his parents want him to sell the very things they gave him? That was the big question he had on his mind. The upside was that he would get money and be able to pay off his debt. The con would be that he would get rid of the only things that reminded him of his parents. This was a dilemma that he had to face on his own, but knowing his current attitude, he may not be able to sell them.

"It's hopeless..." He trailed off as he put the angel back. He started to feel loopy from the morphine finally kicking in. Once more he was alone, as he always had been for years. For the first time in his life, he needed help, but from who? Who would be willing to help him especially after he had treated people? His eyelids closed as his body was finally relaxed. He will deal with it later, but right now he needed to focus on healing.

* * *

Later that day, a male student with black hair and glasses was walking out of his school. Tomorrow would be the day when his school would face Fairy Tail High in the football game. Now he wasn't one for football. However, his brother – a young man with light brown hair walking next to him – was on the team.

"So are you going to come tomorrow?" His brother asked.

"Well, I'm not one for crowds," The black-haired student answered. "Besides, I got my usual shows tomorrow night."

"You can record them," The brunette pointed out. "Besides, I'm playing and I need my brother for support. Besides, who knows what would happen? You could meet someone special."

"I highly doubt it," his older brother trailed off. "You know that girls would look the other way when they see me."

"Come on, bro!" The younger student coaxed. "Do this for me? Besides, Eve and Ren will be there, and I need my brother there too!"

"Your friends is one thing," he suddenly stopped when he looked at his brother's eyes and sighs. "Alright, I will go, but you owe me a favour."

"Yay!" The brunette cheered as he hugged his brother. "You're the best, Liam!"

Liam ruffled his brother's head. "Glad you think so. Let's head home, Hibiki."

Hibiki stopped hugging his brother and ran off. "Race you to our apartment!"

"Oh no, you don't!" Liam shouted as he ran after his brother.

* * *

And that's chapter 5! I apologize for the delay, people, but at least it's out. Let me know what you think. Voiceless is coming your way soon!


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